Power Rangers: Time Force Team-Up
by Zeus'sThunderbolt
Summary: Pursuing an enemy through time, Power Rangers Time Force must team up with Power Rangers teams of the past. Seventh chapter! On the eve of destruction, danger attacks from all sides as the past returns to haunt Time Force. Can the team depend on their old friends, the Turbo-turned-Space Rangers, for help when secrets and lies threaten to undo the very trust that unites them?
1. 1993

**So I've had this story in the works for a little while but wasn't really making it a priority...until Hyper Force and Boom Comics started looking like they might do some of the stuff that I wanted to!**

 **The story should fit in between episodes of the show without messing up continuity (that would be the plan, anyway) but I may take a few creative liberties where...well, where things in the show pretty much made no sense. Some enemies will also be slightly 'depowered' since all the bad guys in the show seem to be pretty much omnipotent!**

 **The story will span across every season of the show (maybe not including Ninja Steel since that's in progress) and the chapters will be released in the order that the seasons aired, although, being a time travel story, that's not actually the order that events transpire for the Time Force team (Confusing? Not as confusing as it is to write it :/).**

 **I will say that I'm not as familiar with some of the seasons as I am with others but I'm doing the research and hopefully I don't give anybody's favourite season too raw of a deal.**

 **When the story is finished, the idea is to list the chapters in the order that events happened from Time Force's perspective and offer anybody (if they're interested) a chance to reread it in that order, although it will be possible to work out the main plot without having to read the story twice.**

 **Anyway, without further ado, I now present my Time Force Team-Up series!**

 **First stop: Angel Grove, 1993**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable characters, places, names etc. in this non profit fanfiction._

 _Rated T as chapters contain violence and occasional mild bad language._

* * *

 **Power Rangers: Time Force Team-Up**

 **Chapter 1993: "The Mighty Era"**

 **Part 1**

 **Angel Grove, California**

Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar

 _This had been a huge mistake._

He felt the bead of sweat slowly running down his forehead before it dripped off the end of his nose. His arms were twisted and contorted behind him, his legs trapped uncomfortably under him. He never should have come here. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes so tightly that everything around him was consumed by the sound of blood rushing in his ears. The uncontrollable tremble of his body served to confirm the realization that he couldn't last any longer. Then, beyond the roaring in his ears, a single word made it through...

"Namaste."

Billy Cranston opened his eyes. He had been completely oblivious to the fact that everybody else in the yoga class had returned to their feet several moments ago and were now bowing before the instructor. Rosanne? Roxanne? He couldn't quite remember her name but, right now, he hated her more than Rita.

Slowly, he untangled his arms and tipped over onto his side to free his legs. He closed his eyes again as he tried to figure out how many parts of his body were broken and when he reopened them, Kimberly Hart and Trini Kwan were standing over him. Trini's long black hair tickled his face as she leaned in closer.

"Billy? Are you ok?"

He thought about the question for a moment, hearing Kimberly try to hold in her laughter as the two girls helped him back to an upright position.

"Affirmative," he replied. "Remind me why I thought attending yoga with the two of you would be a good idea?"

"Because you said that yoga would give you the strength, flexibility and discipline to make you a better superhero," Kimberly answered sharply.

Billy grimaced, "Oh, right." Definitely not his best idea. He grabbed his glasses out of his backpack and put them on, glancing over at the bar to catch Jason Lee Scott and Zack Taylor trying to hide the grins on their faces. At the very least, his efforts had kept them entertained.

Zack was a juice bar regular at this time on a Saturday – primarily due to all the ladies on the mats wearing yoga pants. Having overheard Billy talking about taking part today, he had invited Jason to come along with the guarantee that it would be "worth it."

Thank God he hadn't invited Bulk and Skull!

"So what's the plan tonight, Trini?" Kimberly's bursting excitement gave away that she was less interested in what her friend had in store than she was about revealing her own Saturday night agenda but Trini was happy to play along.

"Just a quiet one, I think. Early to bed, early to rise and all that," she chuckled. "What about you?"

"Tommy and I are going to a movie!" She threw her hands up in the air as if in celebration and Trini couldn't help but smile.

Tommy and Kim had had a thing going on for quite a while now but, with their Power Rangers duties as well as Tommy being kind of shy, things had progressed pretty slowly. A Saturday night movie date was a big deal.

"That is fantastic!" Trini said with a little extra added on enthusiasm for her friend. "What are you guys going to see?"

"I do not know and I do not care," she replied, wiggling her finger in time with her words for comedic effect.

Kimberly knew that she was overly excited but she couldn't help it – this was long overdue!

Tommy had been so bummed out when he lost his Green Ranger powers that he'd found it far too difficult being in the company of the other Power Rangers. She had understood, of course, but a wedge had been driven between them and it seemed like whatever-it-was that they may have had together would be lost – but now that he had his powers back, it was almost as if they had been given a second chance to...

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

The familiar sound interrupted her mid thought and she moaned quietly to herself as she saw her Saturday night plans go down the drain.

Following Jason and Zack out into the hallway, the teens made sure that nobody was around that could see or hear them before Jason held his wrist communicator to his face and pressed the button to open the transmission.

"We're here, Alpha, go ahead."

"Jason!" came the panicky robotic voice over the communicator. "All Power Rangers must report to the Command Centre immediately!"

The Command Centre alarms could be heard blaring in the background. "We'll be right there, Alpha," Jason replied.

Kimberly sighed as she and the others activated the teleportation application on their communicators and, in a shower of multi-coloured sparks, they were gone.

 _So much for date night._

* * *

 **Secret Location, California**

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _This looks like trouble._

Jason looked into the viewing globe with his arms crossed and a grim look on his face.

"Man, he's ugly!" Zack commented, straight to the point as usual.

His statement referred to the being displayed in the footage before them. It was humanoid in shape, completely black in colour save some red accents symmetrically positioned across its body with a number of elongated spikes protruding from both forearms and several smaller ones decorating it's shoulders and head. None of these features, however, were as distinguishing as its cold dark eyes.

The monster had caused panic when it appeared in the park but, so far, it hadn't hurt anybody.

A flood of green light poured from the sky behind the Rangers as Tommy Oliver, answering Alpha's call, materialised in the control room.

"What's Rita up to this time?" Stepping up alongside his comrades, his and Kimberly's eyes met in a silent acknowledgment that this would have to substitute for date night.

"Actually, I'm not certain that this is one of Rita's," chimed Alpha 5. "Censors detected a temporal anomaly of unknown origin moments before the creature appeared in the park."

Billy's eyes widened. "Temporal? As in...time travel!?"

The others exchanges glances. Time travel?

"Look!" Trini pointed to the viewing globe. "What's it doing?"

They watched as some sort of object seemed to grow from the being's hand, similar in appearance to an hourglass filled with a radiant crystal-blue substance, which it then implanted into the ground. What it was and what purpose it fulfilled was anybody's guess at this time.

"Rita or not, we gotta find out what this thing is and what it's doing here," Jason said, his Power Morpher already in his hand.

"What about Zordon?" asked Kimberly, the question that all the other Rangers were thinking.

Jason looked up at their mentor's big empty energy tube. It had only been a few weeks ago that Zordon had sacrificed a large amount of his own energy in order to re-power the Green Ranger's power coin – almost dying in the process – and, although the Power Rangers had managed to restore him, the affects of that act were still evident and the wizard had taken the opportunity to go offline and re-energise while things were quiet.

"We deal with this ourselves." The others nodded, trusting his leadership. "Alpha, you keep an eye on things from here – only call Zordon if we don't have any other choice."

"Understood, Jason," the droid bowed it's saucer-like head as it answered. With Zordon offline, the Red Ranger was in command.

"Tommy..." Jason looked his best friend straight in the eyes, the dejected look across his face revealing he already knew how this sentence would end, "you're on standby, bro."

Unable to hide his disappointment, Tommy just gave a thumbs up in response.

Benching Tommy tore him up inside but this wasn't the time to process his personal feelings – it was up to him to make the tough calls right now.

Even though the Green Ranger's powers had been successfully restored, they were restored in what could only be described as in a limited capacity. Nobody knew how long they would last or what type of strain, if any, the diminishing power would put his body under. The power had to be preserved and that meant not joining the battle unless absolutely necessary.

Jason maintained his focus. His guilt was a battle he would fight himself after business had been taken care of. "Everybody else...it's Morphin Time!"

 _If this thing wants a fight, it's got one._

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _They would be here soon._

Djolnel knelt on the ground in an almost meditative state, the sounds of screams and sirens no longer being received. Normally, he would be on the move by now but he owed this particular team of Rangers a little bit of payback...whether they knew it or not.

"It begins," he whispered to himself as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers emerged from a shower of rainbow light before him, offering them not so much as a flinch in response to their sudden arrival.

"What's the plan, Jase?" Zack asked, unsure of an approach regarding this unknown entity.

"First, we find out if we're here for a fight," the Red Ranger replied.

Djolnel's eyes lit up – he would gladly answer that question.

Jason soared through the air from the impact of the punch, crashing through a bench that overlooked the lake.

"Looks like we're here to fight!" cried Trini as she engaged their foe, receiving a kick to the jaw and a slash across the chest from his forearm spikes. Even through the protection of her suit, it didn't feel too good. The other Rangers fared no better, each one knocked to the side by the monster's attack.

Three quick laser blasts caught him off guard as Jason rejoined the battle, converting his weapon from blaster-mode to blade-mode as he lunged at his enemy.

Sensing a recipe for success, the others joined in the attack, creatively switching their weapons from blade to blaster and back again to confuse and overwhelm the monster.

"Time to bring out the big guns!" The Red Ranger threw his Blade-Blaster at Djolnel as his Power Sword formed in his other hand.

The Rangers attacked with their Power Weapons. Jason chopped down hard with his Power Sword, pressing their enemy back. Billy struck at range using the long reach of his Power Lance to allow Trini to get in close with her Power Daggers. Zack pressed his foot against Djolnel and pulled his Power Axe out of the monster's shoulder as Kimberly sunk two energy-arrows from her Power Bow into the monster's chest.

Changing his weapon to cannon-mode, Zack fired off the shot that finally took the creature off his feet – a victory lasting only seconds.

"Bring 'em together!" shouted Jason as their foe climbed back to a standing position. Without the need for joints or attachments, the Rangers' five separate weapons fitted together – combining the energies that each individual weapon drew from the Morphin Grid into one single weapon.

Jason gripped the newly formed Power Blaster in both hands – the others planting their feet behind him to help absorb the recoil – and pulled the trigger, pushing all five Rangers back by at least six inches as the powerful blast travelled on target to destroy their adversary and end the battle.

Or not.

At the last possible moment Djolnel leapt out of the way of the blast, flipping over the heads of the Rangers and landing behind them. Stunned, they turned around and scrambled frantically to get into position for another shot when, suddenly, a mass of black tentacle-like appendages sprouted from the monster's body and wrapped around their limbs and torsos. Jason dropped the Power Blaster as he was lifted into the air and then slammed ferociously off the ground. Over and over again, the Rangers were smashed into the Earth beneath them as the tightening tentacles squeezed so hard that they could barely breathe. Djolnel roared triumphantly as, slowly, he felt the life being crushed out of his enemies.

 _Kill them now...before the others arrive._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _They can't hold out much longer._

"Teleport them out of there!" shouted Tommy, unbelieving on of what was unfolding in the viewing globe.

"Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai! I can't!" cried the robot, waving his arms in the air. "The monster has them gripped so tightly that I can't risk teleporting them back here without bringing it back with them!"

Tommy knew he had to act quickly but confronting the monster on his own would likely result in him ending up in the same situation as his friends.

Attacking with the Dragonzord offered his best chance at victory but summoning it meant potentially escalating the battle and that was something Zordon urged them never to do – plus, his friends were in such close proximity to the enemy that they would almost certainly get caught up in the Zord's attack.

"Screw it!" he shouted, snapping his Power Coin into his Power Morpher. He would die alongside his friends before he watched it happen from the sidelines.

The wailing sound of alarms stopped him in his tracks and he looked at Alpha expectantly as he wondered how this day could possibly get any worse.

"Ai-ai-ai! It's another temporal anomaly!" the robot remarked in a panic.

A brilliant flash from the viewing globe grabbed Tommy's attention and he spun back round towards it, watching in both awe and confusion at what was transpiring.

 _What the hell is going on today!?_

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _Looks like we got here just in time._

Jen reacted to the scene within seconds of exiting the timestream, effortlessly entering the intricate calculations into the Time Shuttle targeting computer.

Ten strategically placed shots from the new rail-gun mounted on the shuttle's hull severed the tentacles being used to restrain the Power Rangers and they all fell to the ground amidst a pile of lifeless black limbs, each of them convulsing as air refilled their lungs.

A screaming Djolnel cursed himself for letting his ego get in the way of his mission as ten more rail-gun rounds found their mark and brought him to his knees, his body smouldering from the projectiles embedded within. Retreat was his only option now, while their weapon reloaded.

Staggering back to his feet, he witnessed a cloaked figure drop down from the shuttle – a figure he immediately recognised.

Ransik touched down on the grass in a three-point stance and immediately burst into a sprint towards his one time ally, evading the swarm of black tendrils that raced to meet him with a speed and agility not possible for a man of his stature...but he wasn't just a man. Not anymore.

Crossing his arms around himself, he grasped at the handle-like protrusions that grew from his body, his mind wandering back to the first time he pulled a weapon from his bones when the Mut-Orgs granted him that power, so long ago. He groaned only slightly as he drew the two long blades from within himself.

Djolnel didn't see the attack coming. He folded to the ground, clutching at his stomach with both hands.

His enemy lying helpless at his feet, Ransik watched the streaks of blood race one another down his blades in silent admiration. The burning sensation he felt in his veins showed no sign of subsiding, instead working to reignite the burning hatred he had long since buried. How easy it would be to end him right now, he thought.

"You shouldn't have threatened my family," he said quietly as he drew back his weapon in preparation of delivering a finishing blow.

"Djolnel!" shouted Jen as she marched across the park with Wes, Katie and Trip in tow wearing matching Time Force uniforms. The Time Shuttle hovered in the sky above them with Lucas at the helm, weapon locked on.

Rage subsiding and clarity returning, Ransik lowered his weapon and took a step back, handing his prey over to the Time Force team.

"Djolnel, you are under arrest," Jen declared whilst preparing the energy-bracelets that would bind him and nullify his abilities until they arrived back in the year 3005, "for murder, for terrorism, for time-crime and for every other thing you've done that ever hurt another person!"

Djolnel coughed and spluttered as he choked on his own blood. The injury was a significant one. Ransik's reacquiring of his mutant abilities was something he hadn't anticipated and that lack of foresight had cost him gravely. Unable to fight in his current condition, he knew that he had only one chance. His entire body tensed as he dug deep for whatever power he had left – just enough to get away from here so that he could heal. His body crackled with electricity as he summoned the last of his power and, before any of his would-be-captors could respond, he was swallowed by a ball of light and disappeared.

"Dammit!" screamed Jen, throwing the energy bracelets off the ground in a fit of rage.

"He jumped?" Wes's eyebrows were crossed in confusion, "I didn't think he could jump without time to recharge!?"

"He can't – there's no way he got that much more powerful since the last time we fought him!" Katie responded, adamantly.

"A localised jump?" Trip theorized. "Not through time but just to another location!"

Feeling Jen's gaze descend upon him, Ransik knew that what had just transpired would be the subject of a hotly contested conversation between the two later. Just then, his ears were alerted to the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching from behind and he turned around to be met by his daughter's arms being thrown around him.

Nadira held her father tightly, slightly in shock at what she had seen from aboard the Time Shuttle. It had been a long time since she had witnessed his thirst for battle and that long forgotten look in his eyes that accompanied it.

"We need to put a plan together, quickly," ordered Jen.

"Ummm...excuse me?"

The Time Force officers turned their attention to the source of the voice, where stood five very confused Power Rangers still draped in dead tentacles.

"What the hell is going on!?" Zack asked loudly as he pulled his arm free of its binds.

"Zack! Jason! How are you, guys?" Trip shouted excitedly with a large smile on his face.

Stepping back as if creating distance would undo the revelation, the Rangers glanced at one another in disbelief. Their identities were their most closely guarded secret and yet this green haired man had addressed two of their number by name. How did he know? Did he know who the rest of them were, as well? Was his entire group privy to this information?

"Trip!" Jen screamed, throwing her arms in the air. "You idiot!"

Realising his error, the Xybrian Time Force officer grimaced and ducked his head, "Oops."

Their identities compromised, the Rangers faced a situation they had never been in before. At a loss, Jason opened a transmission to the Command Centre on his communicator, "Alpha, come in – we've got big problems out here."

 _Zordon will know what to do._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _It's so strange being back here again._

All of the lingering questions relating to the last time they were here were finally being answered. From within the energy-field that surrounded her, Jen looked around and reacquainted herself with her surroundings. It was exactly as she remembered it. Following the confusion regarding their appearance in the park, she had offered herself to the Rangers as both their 'prisoner' and as a representative of her people in order to quicker and easier reach an understanding.

Stood before her in the centre of the control room were the Power Rangers, alongside Alpha 5 and one other person who, despite being obscured by a towel draped over his head, she recognised as the sixth member of the Ranger team, Tommy Oliver.

"Identify yourself," boomed Zordon from his energy tube, his voice echoing around the big bare room. Had she not met the great sage before, Jen would almost certainly have been intimidated.

"My name is Jennifer Scotts" she started, "I'm a Time Force officer from the 31st century."

The Rangers all exhaled simultaneously, none of them even aware that they had been holding their breath in anticipation. All signs had indicated that the strangers were time travellers but hearing confirmation was another thing entirely.

Trini was the first to find her voice again, "Time...Time Officer?" she mustered.

The girl from the future nodded. Trip's earlier slip-up when he revealed his knowledge of the Rangers' identities by just blurting out their names had irritated Jen considerably (such a blatant disregard for the rules of time travel!) but, knowing how events would eventually play out, it probably didn't matter so much in this instance.

"Time Force: enhanced law-enforcement task unit specialising in the intervention and capture of enhanced-level dangers that threaten the way of life and, when necessary, the pursuit and apprehension of individuals indulging in, profiting from, orchestrating or conspiring in any and all acts of time-crime." She rattled off the words as if reading from an auto-cue. "Such as the fugitive you encountered today."

"Who is he? Like, what is he?" the Pink Ranger asked, not sure she fully understood the explanation they had just been given.

"What is this device?" the Blue Ranger inquired, the now empty hourglass that the monster left in the park gripped in his hands.

"And how do you know who we are?" added the Red Ranger, that question the foremost concern on his mind.

"Where I come from, he was known infamously as 'The Dire' but we know him by his true name: Djolnel," the Time Force officer explained. "He's wanted for murder, terrorism, time-crime, grand theft – everything, really. We don't know what he is or where he came from but he is extremely dangerous."

None of them could disagree. Never before had they encountered an enemy of such strength and if not for the intervention of the girl in front of them and her team, they wouldn't be standing here right now.

"That device, we think, is some kind of 'time-mapping' device that..."

"Time-mapping?" Billy interrupted, intrigued.

She opened her mouth as if to respond but paused, seemingly catching herself about to say something she shouldn't, and then bowed her head and smiled before continuing. "Yes, time-mapping, and he has activated one of those devices at every location in time that we have chased him to, mapping points in history for reasons we don't know. Every time Djolnel travels through time he risks changing the course of history and, every time we follow him, so do we. Each time we face him he is stronger than the time before and we haven't been able to stop him. Those 'tentacles' he attacked you with are just the latest addition in his ever-evolving abilities." She gathered herself as her emotions began to seep through into her voice, then continued, "I'm sorry, that's all I can tell you right now but please believe that he is as much of a threat as I've said. He can't be allowed to escape again. For the sake of everybody throughout all of time, he needs to be stopped. That's why I'm asking for your help."

She stopped for a moment to let them consider what she was saying, knowing that it was a lot to take in.

"Rangers. Zordon. We can't do this alone. Help us put an end to this and bring this monster to justice."

"I feel a strong sense of honour within you, Jennifer Scotts," Zordon's voice bellowed. "I detect no sign of deceit and our temporal scanners confirm that the passage of time has been breached. I believe you are true."

"Thank you, Zordon," she responded, humbly.

The wizard gave a nod of acknowledgement, overcome with the strangest notion that the girl who addressed him was somehow not doing so for the first time.

Exchanging glances between Zordon and one another, Jen's expectant look was answered when the Red Ranger stepped forward and removed his helmet. A grin formed across her face as, one by one, the rest of the legendary heroes followed suit.

"Looks like we're in, 31st century girl!" Zack said, smiling.

"All of us," Tommy added, removing the towel that obscured his features.

Billy pushed a button on the control console, deactivating the energy-field that surrounded Jen, "Affirmative."

"We couldn't let you guys do this alone," Trini said.

"We fight for the present AND the future," Kimberly contributed.

"Looks like you got a full house, Jennifer Scotts," added Jason.

"Please," she said, "call me Jen."

 _Now to find this son of a bitch._

* * *

 **Earth's Moon**

Lunar Palace

 _He had the Rangers at his mercy._

Sitting atop her throne, Rita Repulsa admired her reflection in the blood-red orb that decorated the head of her wand-staff while she contemplated the events she had observed on the planet below.

Where this mysterious being came from and how he came to be so powerful she was unsure of but, almost certainly, he would have succeeded in killing five Power Rangers all at once if not for the appearance of these other strangers. It was a source of discomfort to consider someone other than herself being responsible for the destruction of her greatest enemies and she did not yet know this being's motives or his intentions for the Earth.

She banged the butt of her staff off the floor, the echo filling the throne room and reverberating throughout the palace corridors as she sat with her hands clasped and awaited her General to answer her call.

The terrifying red eyes of Goldar glowed in the dimly lit room as the armoured warrior approached the throne and bowed on one knee before her. "My queen?" he growled, awaiting her orders.

From her throne, Rita looked out over the balcony at the blue planet across space before speaking, "Ready my army."

' _The enemy of my enemy', after all..._

 **End of Part 1**

* * *

 **Part 2**

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _Why can't the scanners find anything?_

Billy slammed his palms down on top of the control console, frustration finally beginning to set in after two hours of running continuous sweeps of the globe had turned up no trace of Djolnel.

Jen sighed, her hopes dashed. The Command Centre computers were of an alien design far more advanced than even the technology of Earth a thousand years in the future, yet its scanners were still unable to detect their enemy.

"Don't let it get to you, man," Wes patted Billy on the shoulder as he consoled him. "He's invisible to almost all types of tracking – his body doesn't even give off a heat signature."

"The only thing we've ever been able to detect are chronitons," Jen explained. "He gives off a definitive chroniton signature upon exit of the timestream."

"That's how we tracked him to 1993," Wes added.

"He travels in a way that we can't determine, moving completely exposed through the timestream without experiencing any of the detrimental effects associated in doing so unshielded," the Time Force leader continued. "By the time we gear up and come out after him, he's already activated the mapper and is looking for somewhere to hide out and recharge. Only once his body's chroniton level is fully replenished can he perform another jump into the timestream. That is the only other time our scanners can find him, leaving us only minutes to reach him and stop him before the whole damn cycle starts over again."

"How long does be need to recharge?" Jason asked, rubbing his tired eyes. Alongside Jen and Wes, he had remained in the control room to assist Billy and Alpha in monitoring the scanners and the last two hours had felt like MUCH longer. "I mean, what about that 'jump' earlier? Isn't it possible...?"

Shaking her head, Jen replied, "There was no chroniton signature. That had to be some kind of 'localised jump'."

"Just like teleporting..." Billy muttered, more thinking out loud than trying to contribute at the moment.

"Normally, we pick up his signal after about an hour – sometimes sooner – but the theory we're working with right now is that making this localised jump, combined with the injury he sustained, has taken its toll and his chroniton energy is charging at a much slower-than-normal rate," Jen explained, disappointment working its way across her face. "I'd hoped we could take advantage of that extra time – find him and actually have enough time to defeat him but it just seems like..."

"Hey, come on," Wes put his arm around her, "don't be like that. We're gonna get him. We'll find him, we'll stop him and we'll bring him in...together."

His soothing words and comforting embrace made Jen feel a way that nobody else could. She rested her head contently on his chest, allowing herself a few brief seconds of respite before she caught herself and pulled away quickly. "I'm...uh... just going to go check on the others," she said quietly before leaving the control room.

Wes grunted quietly as Jason walked over to his side, "You and Jen, huh?"

"Yeah. Something like that," he replied, staring at the ceiling.

Jason smirked, "She's pretty intense."

"You got no idea, bro."

 _Girl drives me crazy._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Zord BDR Hangar-

 _Is he meditating?_

Tommy approached the green haired time traveller sitting cross-legged on the floor over by the Time Shuttle in the Command Centre's BDR hangar. Commonly used by Alpha and Billy to run battle-diagnostics and make repairs on the Zords, the shuttle and all its passengers had been teleported to the hangar, after Jen had pleaded her case in the control room, to await further instructions while the scanners searched for their enemy.

"Hey," Tommy said, giving a little wave as he approached, "Trip, right?"

The look of frustration on Trip's face was replaced by a wide smile when he looked up. "Hey!" he said enthusiastically.

"What you doin', man?" Tommy asked with a hint of intrigue.

"I'm trying to locate Djolnel," came the reply. "I'm attempting to use meditation as a means of clearing my mind to increase my chances of receiving a vision, but I don't think I'm doing it right."

Tommy's eyes widened. "A vision? You...you can do that with..." Tommy pointed to his own forehead, in reference to the emerald-like gem Trip wore embedded in his own.

"Yes!" he said nodding, now realising that a full explanation was in order. "It's an ability shared by all of my people. I'm a Xybrian – from the planet Xybria!"

Tommy sat down on the floor, crossing his legs in the same way as the man in front of him. With the exception of Zordon and Alpha 5, all alien lifeforms that he and his teammates had so far encountered had been hell-bent on killing them so there was a certain amount of comfort in knowing that they didn't have the ENTIRE universe against them.

"What do you see?" Tommy asked, unsure of what exactly Trip meant. "What do your visions show you?"

Trip screwed up his face a little bit, "Glimpses," he replied. "Fragments. My abilities are very...arbitrary in nature. They often come unexpectedly and can be difficult to decipher amidst my own thoughts. That's the reason that I've been researching meditation techniques – to free my mind for a clearer vision. To be more useful to the team."

"Close your eyes," Tommy told him. If this man was even nearly as human on the inside as he was on the outside, then this was something he may be able to assist with. "Listen to how I breathe." He drew a long breath in threw his nose, followed by a longer exhale out his mouth. "Use your diaphragm. Breathe down into your belly." Trip did as instructed, feeling the expansion in his abdomen as opposed to in his chest.

Meditation had long been something of interest to Tommy and, over the last few months, had been invaluable to him.

Ever since the green candle burned out, Tommy had been fighting a battle within himself. Memories of his time under Rita's control had plagued his nightmares. Fighting against her forces as the Green Ranger had been the only thing that could satiate his guilt over his actions during that time and, with his connection to the Morphin Grid broken, he had come close to spiralling into a deep depression from which he may never have recovered.

Meditation had saved him – not only had it helped cleanse his mind, but also his soul. If Trip could attain a similar state, Tommy believed it was certainly possible that he could master his gift.

"Relax your muscles," he instructed. "You'll never find peace within your mind without first finding peace within your body. Start with your neck and shoulders. Let go of that tension."

* * *

Katie walked around the hangar, overcome with an extremely odd sense of deja-vu. She was just a rookie the last time she was here, yet, technically, this was the first time she had actually been here (or something?). There, over by the far wall sat the surgery pod, currently inactive but she knew that the next time she was here (or last time she was here?) it would be...

Her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed two figures shuffling gradually closer and she smiled.

"Hey!"

"Well, hey" she replied, greeting Kimberly and Trini, both girls wearing excited grins on their faces.

"Ok", Kimberly finally composed herself, "I know we're not really meant to ask you questions about the future and stuff but you just gotta tell me one thing...what are the malls like?"

Laughing, Katie tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't disappoint the girls too much – she hadn't even known what a mall was until their mission to 2001 almost five years prior!

"I'm sorry," Trini jokingly apologised for her friend, "you have to understand, visitors from the future are few and far between around these parts."

"Ha, yeah, I guess they are," she replied.

"So, It HAS to be pretty cool having a kick-ass chick like Jen in charge?" Kimberly enquired, having been left somewhat in awe of the Time Force leader.

"I'm not sure that 'cool' is exactly the word I'd use to describe Jen," Katie admitted about her no-nonsense leader, "but, yeah, she is pretty great." It had been quite some time since she considered just how good of a leader Jen actually was and how much she had evolved since their first mission together – the first time they were here.

"You know what is cool, though? Meeting the Power Rangers!" Katie chose her words carefully – refraining from calling them the "original" Power Rangers. They had no idea what they had started and the sort of legacy they would leave behind, although she had a feeling that would change pretty soon.

"There has to be something you can tell us – or show us!" Trini's excitement had finally gotten the better of her.

"Welllllll..." Katie motioned for the two girls to walk with her over to the surgery pod, big and bulky in size and capable of accommodating a large man. Crouching down next to it, she slid both hands in underneath the heavy piece of machinery and lifted it off the ground and up onto her shoulders.

As Trini and Kimberly looked on in astonishment, Katie took one arm away and pressed her finger to her lips, whispering quietly, "Don't tell Jen I showed you."

* * *

Zack took a deep breath and made his way across the hangar. "Alright, Zack-Man, you got this," he said quietly to himself. He glided across the floor, moving to a silent beat before twirling on the ball of his foot as he came to a stop. "Hi, there."

Nadira, leaning against the wall with nail-file in hand, smiled and felt herself blush slightly as she gave a small wave.

"So what brings a girl like you to a century like this?" he asked, charmingly.

Nadira's smile widened as she was suddenly fairly certain that Zack was hitting on her.

"I was just wondering," he gestured with his hands and clicked his fingers before 'magically' pulling a rose from nowhere in one of his more well known magic tricks, "are all the ladies in the 31st century as beautiful as you are?"

Her red face now clashing with her long pink hair, she took the rose between her fingers and held it to her face to take in its sweet fragrance. "You are adorable!" she squeaked, kissing him on the cheek before shuffling off towards the shuttle.

Passing by Lucas on her way, she took the opportunity to confront him – standing on her toes so as to be right in his face. "See?" she shrieked, her demeanour drastically changed from the blushing girl moments before, "He knows how to treat a lady!" She stormed up the steps into the shuttle, leaving Lucas wondering what she meant by that. He looked over to Zack who just walked the other way, hands in pockets and whistling, pretending he didn't have a damn clue what just happened.

* * *

Ransik had chosen to sit alone inside the shuttle rather than mingle with the others. He stared at the small vial in his hand – the purple fluid within once used to keep his body's mutation in check, now modified in order to reactivate those dormant mutant genes inside him.

However, it wasn't only his mutant abilities that had been returned to him but also his rage – a huge weight lifted years ago, now heavy on his soul once again.

"Daddy? Are you ok?"

Lost in thought, he hasn't heard his daughter board the shuttle. "Of course, my dear," he said, faux smiling as she approached him. Her presence aboard the shuttle had been a condition of his design.

Djolnel's threat, during their last encounter, to kill all of his loved ones made reference to a very exclusive list and he had made sure that she not be left without his protection. However, he now succumbed to the fear that, by bringing her along, he had instead exposed her to the very danger from which he sought to protect her.

"Did Lucas give you that?" he asked, in reference to the rose she carried in her hand. The recent tension between the two had been obvious and he thought that, perhaps, Lucas was making amends.

"Oh, no," she replied, putting the rose behind her as she sat next to her father. "It was one of the others, Zack. He's really sweet."

"Great," he grumbled, sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "now there's two of them to deal with."

Nadira laughed, uncertain exactly how serious he was and wondered if she should give Zack a heads up, just in case.

Placing her hand on her father's arm, her suspicions were confirmed as she slowly pulled away the cloak covering it. His flesh was twisted and disfigured, appearing almost to boil and burn right before her eyes.

Something else returned to him by the serum.

"I'd do anything to protect you, Nadira" he said softly as he wiped the tears from her face.

 _Even if it costs me everything else._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Access Corridor-

 _I have to stay focused._

Jen marched through the corridor alone, angry at herself for showing that kind of weakness in front of Zordon and his Rangers. She wasn't here to get cosy, she was here on a mission and nothing could get in the way of that – especially not her own feelings.

As she made her way down the hall, a metallic door to her left slid open almost invitingly. After a brief hesitation, she stepped inside to find a room full of consoles that rivalled that of the control room. The Command Centre certainly seemed to have been constructed with an entire crew of operators in mind as opposed to just Alpha 5 and the Rangers.

"You seem troubled, my dear."

Slightly startled, Jen looked round to see an energy tube, identical to the one in the control room, come down from the ceiling and dock into place as the image of Zordon appeared within it.

"Zordon?" Jen sounded surprised. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just out for a stroll." Zordon wasn't exactly known for his humour but he felt it was the best approach in this instance. The Time Force leader's stern face breaking into laughter told him he had been correct.

"You need not feel ashamed for leaning on another," spoke the wizard. "A true leader does not collapse under the weight for there is no weight that cannot be carried by the team."

Jen swallowed hard, knowing what he said was true. "I know," she replied. "I am trying, Zordon. I'm still learning."

"As are we all," he responded.

The wizard had a way of making you feel like you could confide in him with anything. "Zordon," Jen started, "there's something I need to tell you. I didn't mention it before because..."

"I already know," he interrupted her, fully aware of what she was going to say. "I sensed your connection to the Morphin Grid as soon as you arrived in the Command Centre and I understand why you didn't tell them. All I ask is, should the need arise, you and your team do not hesitate to act."

"We won't, Zordon. I swear it," she replied, solemnly.

"Jen, come in!"

Wes yelling through the communicator on her Chrono Morpher put an end to the conversation. "I'm here", she spoke into the device as it projected the holographic image of her teammate. "What is it? What's..."

"We have him! We found Djolnel."

Her eyes widened, "I'm on my way." She looked up to Zordon, who merely nodded, and, with that, she headed back along the corridor to the control room.

 _It's time to end this once and for all._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Zord BDR Hangar-

 _I can't take anymore of this._

Lucas sat at the cockpit controls of the shuttle, drumming his fingers on his lap in agitation. His ego aside, he just couldn't stand another second of Nadira completely ignoring him – especially with this battle looming.

"I'm sorry, ok?" he said down into his chest. It wasn't quite the way he meant to say it. This wasn't going to be easy.

"What was that?" she snapped back, still only looking at him from the corner of her eye. Nadira sat at the weapon controls, defying her father's wishes that she stay at the Command Centre until their mission was complete – she wasn't letting him out of her sight.

Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being an ass, and I'm sorry for taking so long to say I'm sorry." Saying sorry five times in less than a minute was more times than he could remember ever saying it before in his life.

Finally, she turned to face him but the look on her face said that that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

"Well, I'm glad it only took the attention of another man to make you sorry!" she growled through her teeth.

"It wasn't that!" he insisted, "I just needed time to think but that doesn't matter anymore because..."

She squinted her eyes at his hesitation. His next words would have to be chosen VERY carefully.

"...I want to do it. Let's do it."

Nadira stood up, looking down her nose at him, not entirely convinced.

"I want to do it – I want US to do it!" he said, becoming more and more convincing with every word. "I want us to be the ones to break the mold – more than that, I..."

Tears formed in Nadira's eyes as she watched the words form on his lips.

"Nadi, I want to marry you. I love you."

She lunged forward, grabbing his face with both hands and pulling him into a long, passionate kiss – one that reminded him of the first time they kissed like this, when he first realised how he REALLY felt about her.

The kiss broke and Nadira wondered if this was the happiest she had ever been. When she first suggested they get married a little over a week ago, she hadn't been completely serious. It was a politically charged notion in response to the ongoing hostilities between humans and mutants. A wedding between a human and a mutant – especially of their profile – would be a huge step towards ending hostilities. It had been Lucas's reaction to the idea that had angered her! He actually had to THINK about marrying her!? At the time, she had wanted to claw his eyes out!

Of course, she knew that it was more complicated than that and giving him the silent treatment the way that she had been had worked partially to avoid having to confront the issue.

"What about Time Force?" she asked.

Lucas looked down and gulped. His feelings for her had never been the question. The fact was this: Nadira was a criminal – a reformed criminal, sure, and one who had had her charges reduced to role of accomplice and had been shown even more leniency since she had been acting on the orders of her own father but, on paper, she was still a criminal...and a Time Force officer could never marry a criminal.

"When this is done – when THIS is all over..." he said. "When Djolnel is on ice, I'll hand in my badge. I'll hand in my badge and my morpher and your dad can walk you down that aisle."

She teared up again, moving in for another kiss when the sound of Wes' voice over the shuttle communications interrupted them.

"Lucas! Get ready, it's go time."

Lucas looked back to Nadira. The conversation would need to be finished another time. He leaned in again for one more kiss before preparing for battle...

"And if you pick Trip to be your best man, I'm shaving your eyebrows off the night before the wedding!" came Wes' voice over the com again.

Lucas rolled his eyes.

 _Asshole._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Access Corridor-

 _Just the man I want to see._

"Ransik!"

Jen's eyes widened as he turned his head towards her. The disfiguration of his body that he had been concealing was no longer so easy to hide. The scarring had worked its way across his face in such a manner that he now looked scarily reminiscent of the Ransik of old.

"The final dose," he said, turning around completely to reveal the empty vial and syringe in his hands.

"Are you good?" It was more of an accusation than a question. Jen had been finalising the plan with the Mighty Morphin team in the control room and spotting Ransik on his own out here gave her the opportunity to have this chat. "You didn't seem good, earlier. In fact, it looked a lot like you were getting ready to kill Djolnel instead of apprehend him."

"If I had then maybe we'd be finished here, already," he spat back in response.

"That's not the way we do it," Jen growled back. "We don't..."

"Ugh, you and your principles!" His veins were burning from the serum he had just injected, like a fire spreading through his entire body. "These...ancient Rangers don't take prisoners! They would..."

"My principles!?" Jen screamed back. "My principles? Like, following the chain of command? Five years ago, I defied my superiors and STOLE a Time Ship to chase a criminal into the past for revenge. Is that the kind of principles you're talking about? Or, how about, when I broke one of the fundamental Time Force rules and recruited somebody from the past to be a part of my mission? Or, maybe you mean when I called upon that same criminal from five years ago and I asked him for help?" She snatched the vial from his hand. "Then I let him get his mojo back and brought him with me into the same past that I chased him into to stop him from conquering!"

She stopped for second and took a deep breath to try and regain her composure. "I have broken every single principle that I once held dear. All except for one: justice. THAT is all I have left. So, if you can't do this – if you're compromised – then you stay here..." She paused to give him time to consider her words, "but if you're good? Then go gear up...because we need you."

And with that, she turned around and walked away.

 _Please, don't let me down._

 **End of Part 2**

* * *

 **Part 3**

 **Stone Canyon, California**

' _Leave no stone unturned.'_

When Billy set the Command Centre computers to monitor local airwaves for reports of unusual sightings, he honestly never would have expected it to trump the multitude of scanners and tracking devices that the Command Centre had at its disposal but that's exactly what happened.

A news station had reported sightings of a creature in Stone Canyon, just outside of Angel Grove, matching the description of Djolnel. Since the scanners were still unable to detect his chroniton signature, it meant that he wasn't yet approaching peak capacity. This was the chance they were looking for.

A cold shiver made its way down Zack's spine as he surveyed the empty buildings all around them, the eerie silence made all the more menacing now that the daylight was fading – and, of course, knowing that HE was here. The entire complex was currently off limits to the public, citing a full investigation of structural damages after the Zord battle against Rita's bee monster had spilled over into Stone Canyon last week. The police cordon around the danger zone may have been able to keep people from entering but they weren't looking for five superheroes from the neighbouring town to drop in from the sky.

"Glad to see they're taking a potential monster sighting in this area so seriously," he said, sarcastically, noting the seeming lack of a search throughout the buildings.

"Nobody is going to risk walking around amongst a bunch of buildings that might fall on their head, looking for something they don't really want to find," Trini responded.

"Well, except for..." Kimberly put her arm in the air and then pointed down at herself. "We're not going to check all of these buildings, are we?"

"Billy?" Jason handed the situation over to the team genius.

Removing his glasses, Billy pressed behind his ear as a significantly more hi-tech pair formed over his eyes.

"Whoa!" Zack touched the shaded goggles that had appeared on Billy's face.

"Visual Scanner," Billy commented. "Time Force issue."

"So we scan for him?" Trini's eyebrows were crossed. "I thought scanning for him wasn't an option?"

"Yeah, not even for his body heat," added Kimberly.

Billy nodded as he cycled through the scanning modes on the display before his eyes, "True," he said, "our scanning methods have proven ineffective in locating Djolnel, but..." He paused as he adjusted the scanner again. "We now have a location narrowed down and, more importantly, we've seen him bleed."

On the scanner display appeared a visual representation of heartbeats, overlapping and integrated together, accompanied by the indefinable sound of them all pounding in his ear. Clicking on the scanner again, he zoned in on one of the heartbeats. It was Kimberly's.

He removed her heartbeat from the scanner's display. One by one, he isolated and eliminated each of their signals, until there were only two heartbeats left.

"Mine," he said quietly as he removed his own from the display. "And then there was one." Billy pointed to the building across from them where the signal was coming from and he prayed it didn't belong to a squatter. "Second floor."

The Rangers approached the building cautiously, knowing that it wouldn't take much to entice their enemy into battle.

"So, what? Throw a stone at the window?" Kimberly joked nervously. Just then, the building seemed to burst open as a mass of long black tentacles erupted through its walls.

"It's Morphin Time!" shouted Jason.

The Rangers grabbed their Power Morphers in both hands and held them out in front of them, the conduits opening their connection to the Morphin Grid and illuminating the area in a blast of multi-coloured light.

"You!" came the demonic growl as Djolnel the Dire descended down the self made stairway of rubble and broken glass. He didn't know how they had found him but he would not allow them to stop him – not when he was so close to being able to make the jump.

Ducking under a jumping spin-kick from Trini, he knocked Billy off his feet with a rising uppercut. Zack swung his Power Axe, missing his target as Djolnel leapt over him and slashed Jason with his forearm spikes.

Energy arrows raining from the sky, Djolnel evaded the Pink Ranger's fire and scaled the side of the building to confront her on her rooftop perch. Lunging at her in a fury of spikes and tentacles, he instead found himself amidst a shower of pink sparks that promptly shot off into the sky.

He looked down to the ground and scanned the surrounding area for his enemies. All gone. Had they really retreated so quickly? Or was it...

The humming of the Time Shuttle rail-gun readying to fire answered the question.

...a trap.

Exposed on the rooftop, the monster reacted by launching an array of tentacles which separated from his body – twisting into spear-like projectiles that sailed through the air and tore through the rail-gun before it could fire.

Nadira squirmed as sparks shot from the targeting controls into her face, more telling than the 'weapon malfunction' warning on the display.

"There goes our ace in the hole!" Lucas cursed.

"There's more than one ace in a deck," Wes shouted over the communications.

Lucas manoeuvred the shuttle around the building as Djolnel prepared for a follow up attack, when a drop kick from behind sent him flying from the rooftop to the ground. Five beams of light touched down as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers teleported before him.

"Stand down," came Jen's order from behind. The monster looked over his shoulder towards her voice where she stood in a line amongst her fellow Time Force officers, Ransik included.

Surrounded by eleven opponents, Djolnel considered his options. It was still out with his ability to perform a time-jump and another localised-jump would surely strand him in this time period for even longer. The Power Rangers of this age were proving to be highly adaptable and, of course, Time Force themselves had another card yet to play – not to mention that Ransik's weapons had proven surprisingly effective against him in the earlier battle.

"Stand. Down." Jen repeated her demand.

Perhaps it all ends here, thought Djolnel, before he detected an odd garbling sound coming from all around them.

Everybody looked around as the noise became louder and louder – a sound recognisable to the Power Rangers, although never had they heard it quite so loud.

From nowhere, a small flame flickered between Djolnel and the Rangers before the air itself seemingly ignited, bursting into flames that took on the shape of a demon from hell. A shocking site to most, the Power Rangers knew exactly what they were witnessing.

From within the pattern of fire came forth Goldar, his fanged teeth clenched into something akin to an evil smile, swinging his golden sword in front of him and flames still clinging to his body even after the fire in the air had subsided.

"Great, looks like Rita decided to join the party!" chimed Kimberly right before a flash of lightning came from nowhere and struck her in the chest – ricocheting off of her and returning straight to the hand of Scorpina, who jumped from the rooftops and landed on the ground alongside Goldar and Djolnel.

"Dammit!" cursed Jen as, once again, she saw their plans crumble before her eyes. The garbling noise reached full penetration as, from the windows and doors and holes in the buildings around them, masses of Rita's putties flooded the street.

"Aw, man, there's gotta be hundreds of 'em!" Jason remarked as the clay soldiers formed a perimeter on the outskirts of the battlefield.

Djolnel eyed up his unexpected allies. He didn't know who the scorpion lady was but the golden one had proven an efficient warrior the last time they fought together. It would seem that his defeat was not the only possible outcome, after all.

The ring of putties surrounding them got smaller as they slowly moved inwards, threatening to swallow the battlefield and all of its combatants.

"Maybe it's time to show them our full hand, as well," suggested Katie, tossing away her sidearm.

The numbers game suddenly against them and their window of opportunity to stop Djolnel closing with every passing second, Jen was not going to argue, "Time for Time Force!"

Activating the Chrono Morphers mounted on their wrists, the five Time Force officers were enveloped in rainbow coloured electricity as the devices opened their connections to the Morphin Grid.

"We...we didn't know they could do that, right?" Zack asked as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers watched in anticipation, the light on the other side of their enemies dissipating and from it emerging the Time Force Power Rangers.

"No," Jason grinned under his helmet, "but I think I'm really glad that they can."

Goldar couldn't believe his eyes as the number of Power Rangers on the field suddenly doubled. No matter, he thought, the numbers were still in his favour. Letting loose an almighty roar, he charged at his enemies as all hell broke loose.

Scorpina's stinger zigzagged among the furious combatants like a living lightning bolt as the forces of good and evil clashed.

Jason split kicked two putties as he ran towards Goldar, sparks flying as their swords scraped together. Although a warrior foremost, his years surrounded by the dark magiks had seen the golden-clad alien learn a trick or two himself and he used that knowledge to unleash bolts of energy from his glowing eyes. Jason leapt over the blasts, flying at his nemesis with a kick to the body as Trini came corkscrewing through the sky over the Red Ranger's head to land a dropkick that staggered their mighty foe.

Ransik disappeared within a sea of living clay as a swarm of putties descended upon him. His blood boiling, he erupted in a berserker-like fury – swinging wild hooks and uppercuts that filled the air with grey bodies. The sky raining putties, Kimberly hopped across their falling bodies like they were stepping stones, firing energy-arrows downwards into the clay soldiers below.

Scorpina screamed in frustration as her stinger failed to find a home amongst the Time Force Rangers. The Green, Blue and Yellow Rangers dodged and evaded with a pattern of movement she had never seen the likes of in a display of impossible reflex and reaction, as if the passage of time itself was a tool to them. Summoning her weapon back, she raised her hand in the air to reclaim it when Trip dived forward and connected with a heel to her jaw – snapping her head back and causing her to miss her catch, her own stinger impacting her in the shoulder.

"Arrrrrgggghhh!" she screamed again, "I'll kill you!" Picking up her stinger, she sprinted at her opponents with animalistic ferocity.

Feet suspended off the ground, the Red Time Force Ranger kicked his legs in futility as the black hand gripped tighter around his throat. Sharp spikes growing out of his enemy's chest towards him, Wes cursed himself for using the Battle Warrior upgrade so foolishly in their previous encounter. Djolnel's lip curled into a sadistic shape, impalement on his mind, when he saw something from the side of his eye. Dropping his prey, he crossed both of his arms in front of himself in a defensive position as Jen soared through the air and chopped down with a Chrono Sabre Time Strike.

Djolnel staggered backwards as multiple severed spikes landed at his feet.

"Don't fall to bits about it," the Pink Time Force Ranger quipped while she regrouped alongside Wes, the sarcastic remark serving to hide her dismay at how easily their foe had blocked such a powerful attack.

Djolnel flinched aggressively and the broken spikes on the ground shot towards Jen and Wes like explosive shrapnel, distracting them and leaving them unprepared for the onslaught of tendrils that raced towards them. Unable to move as their arms and legs were bound and outstretched, the two Rangers looked around for nearby allies who could aid them. Everybody was occupied. The sudden tugging of their binds forced screams from both of them as they felt themselves being pulled in all directions. A hideous smile covered the monster's face as he prepared to rip his enemies limb from limb.

"Hup-sik-ah!"

The two Rangers landed in a heap, the severed tentacles still hanging from their arms and legs. The darkness that had begun to consume her vision subsiding, Jen looked up to see their saviour standing before them.

"You guys are just full of surprises, huh?" the Green Mighty Morphin Power Ranger remarked as he quickly examined their Ranger attires.

"Tommy..." Jen muttered, quietly.

"Stay here just now," he ordered. The metallic plate that covered his mouth withdrew into his helmet and he held the Dragon Dagger to his face, blowing into the mouthpiece and moving his fingers with precision over the finger holes on the handle. The golden Dragon Shield that covered his upper body was bathed in a green glow as it became fortified from Dagger's song.

Djolnel spat as he had once again been denied his kill. More frustrating, he couldn't believe that he had forgotten about HIM.

The Green Mighty Morphin Ranger charged forward as his opponent's projectiles bounced off of the temporary forcefield he had summoned, allowing him to quickly close distance on the monster.

Djolnel was caught off guard. The speed and strength of this Ranger far surpassed what he appeared to possess in their last battle as a blitz of punches, kicks and knees battered his head and body.

Tommy continued his furious assault, determined not to give the creature a moment's respite – and that was when he felt it. Confirmation of what they had all feared. He could already feel the strain on his body that this exertion of his powers produced. Each passing second that he drew energy through his power coin from the Morphin Grid was one second closer to being his last. If this was to be his final battle, he thought, then so be it. All in.

Bodies clashing everywhere, nobody noticed a small group of Putties breaking off and slipping away, guided by Rita's other henchmen, Squatt and Baboo, who had been watching the fighting from the sidelines.

"Come on! Come on!" urged Squatt, "We have to secure their ship!"

Five extra Power Rangers was an unexpected twist that changed the dynamics of the battle considerably, to say the least. In the event that things didn't turn out in the favour of their Empress, the ship that brought them here may prove to be a worthy consolation prize.

"It's unguarded," chimed Baboo as they moved in on the Time Shuttle, sitting conspicuously on the ground. The shuttle door opened suddenly and Nadira made her way down the descending stairway. Dismissing her as a threat, Baboo directed the clay soldiers in her direction, satisfied that they had secured the vehicle.

Nadira watched the monsters approach her and put her hands to the sides of her face, "Oh, no!" she squealed, "All of the heroes are gone – who's going to save little old me?" The putties closed in and, when they were close, Nadira flexed her hand as her fingernails elongated like long red blades. "There aren't any damsels in this story," she snorted and, after one fell swoop of her hand, four headless clay bodies crumpled to the ground.

Retreating, Squatt and Baboo decided that the sidelines had been the right place for them after all.

* * *

"We have to get in closer!" cried María Delgado from behind her pilot.

"Are you crazy?" came his response as he hovered the news helicopter in the sky above the battle that waged below. He didn't want to be this close to the monsters, never mind closer – and what if they decided to get big?

"You know I am!" she shouted in answer to his question. Having anticipated the police cordon around the area being widened once it was clear a battle was underway, the wily news reporter had immediately took to the skies to get a glimpse of the action. Even she couldn't have imagined she'd be watching not six but ELEVEN Power Rangers against hundreds of enemies. "This is gonna make me!"

* * *

Billy's Power Lance impaled two putties at the same time as its sharp end tore through the clay soldiers. Spinning like a human tornado, he used the two monsters skewered on the end of his outstretched weapon like a giant club that battered against all the other surrounding putties.

An energy blast obliterated several of their number as Zack fired his Power Axe's cannon-mode down into the crowd of enemies. Putties scaled the pile of rubble which he stood atop, climbing over and on top of one another like frenzied animals to reach their enemy. Clay sprayed all over the Black Ranger as the ones who reached his perch were dissected by the sharp end of his weapon.

He buried his axe down into the head of one such putty, the weapon destroying its cranium, as another reached the peak behind him. As it lunged for him, Zack pulled the trigger on his weapon, firing a blast behind him that vaporized the enemy. The creatures were starting to come apart easier now. In fact, several of them were burning up before they were even hit. They had been taken out of the oven too soon – prepared to ensure quantity over quality. The once seemingly endless horde was beginning to thin.

Scorpina stumbled forward as both Yellow Rangers kicked her in the back, setting her up for Jen and Kimberly to come springing off their hands and side kick her in the chest in a display of synchronised combat. Recoiling from the double team, she was met by a spinning hook-kick to the head from Nadira which sent her tumbling to the ground.

Propping herself up on her stinger weapon like a crutch, Scorpina looked at the five women marching towards her amidst the anarchy all around them. Their enemies were rallying. What had once looked like certain victory, now looked like a battle they could not win.

Even Goldar was taken aback by the raw unrelenting rage possessed by the being before him as, sword to sword, Ransik screamed into his face whilst pressing him backwards. Taking advantage of his over-aggressiveness, Goldar stepped off to the side and Ransik tumbled to the ground. A blast of energy racing towards him, Goldar reacted quickly by deflecting it to the side with his sword. A second blast was also successfully intercepted, but a third found its mark, impacting him in the chest and blowing him off his feet.

Their Vector Weapons smoking from the shots they had just unleashed, Lucas and Trip stepped towards their fallen enemy. "Want some more?" Lucas asked, holding the cannon in two hands. The tides had turned and Goldar knew it – and he didn't even want to find out if these other Rangers had Zords, as well!

Rushing to his side, Scorpina helped him back to his feet as he swore to himself that he would one day have vengeance on all of the Power Rangers who amassed against him this day but, right now, he resorted to the tactic that had kept him alive this long. Flames sprouted all across his body, quickly spreading across both he and Scorpina until only two burning silhouettes remained. When the flames dispersed into the air, both of the aliens were gone.

Djolnel ducked under Tommy's jumping spin kick and hopped over the low leg sweep immediately following but was hit in mid-jump by a flying side kick from Jason. Their teamwork was a difficult task to rise to, not made any easier by the other Red Ranger alongside them.

Barely deflecting Wes's Time Strike, Djolnel landed face down in the dirt. He needed a distraction – something to buy him the few moments he needed to reach maximum capacity and escape into the timestream.

Then, he heard it. The chopping noise of some kind of aircraft above them. Looking up, he fired a spider web of tendrils into the sky. Like grappling hooks, they latched onto the walls of the surrounding buildings while a few of them wrapped around the news copter. María screamed as the pilot lost control of the vehicle, the tentacles jamming the propeller and shattering the windows as they tightened around the airframe.

Using three tentacles to anchor himself to the ground, Djolnel pulled his appendages back into himself. Entire walls were pulled away, the resulting debris raining down amongst the combatants, as the news copter plummeted to the ground like it was being sucked down through a maelstrom of brick and steel.

"Somebody..." shouted Jason, unable to finish his sentence as he dodged the structure raining down on top of him.

"Oh, no!" Kimberly yelled. Knocked to the ground by the building fragments falling all around, she could only look away from the horror about to unfold and brace herself for the sickening sound of the impact...but it never came. She turned her head back towards what should have been a nightmarish scene but, instead, she bore witness to the incredible sight of the Yellow Time Force Ranger laying the huge aircraft down gently on the ground.

"Everyone ok in there?" Katie called into the helicopter as she slouched against it, exhausted from the overexertion required to perform the superhuman feat. Super strength or not, catching a free falling helicopter in her arms was going to take a toll.

"Oh, my god!" wailed María, choking back tears as Wes and Trini helped pull her and the pilot from the ruined aircraft. Both were naturally shaken and also a little bloody but, thankfully, neither seemed seriously harmed.

She clung to the Red Time Force Ranger as he put her feet down on the ground. "Who are you?" she asked him, the reporter in her unwavering even after the near death experience.

"Um, guys?" Trip said as he looked at the destruction all around them. "Where's Djolnel?"

* * *

Electricity popped at the tips of the spikes that lined his body. Having slipped away amidst the chaos of his own making, he was now far enough from his enemies that nobody could prevent him from making the jump into the timestream.

The popping became more aggressive as Djolnel raised his arms out to his sides like some kind of demonic messiah when, from behind him, a sound not unlike a sword being unsheathed made him quickly turn around. With no time to react, he screamed as he was forced down and nailed to the ground by the blade in his shoulder.

As he frantically tried to remove the weapon, he heard again that same unsheathing sound, foretelling yet another sword that was now pressed against his face.

When all of the Power Rangers had been distracted by the falling aircraft, Ransik had kept his eyes locked on Djolnel and had followed him – stealthily keeping at such a distance that his prey would not detect him, waiting for the right moment to make his move.

This monster had threatened his family – his daughter's life! He could not be allowed to live.

"Look at me," he demanded of his enemy – he wanted to watch the life fade from his eyes as he died. His blood felt like molten lava coursing throughout his body, a searing agony that could only be extinguished by eliminating the cause of his rage...a rage that would never be quenched.

His body shaking, he contemplated Jen's words from earlier in the day and pondered the long road ahead if he chose to act on his instinct right now. How many more enemies would have to fall to satiate the anger and the hatred that burned within?

His mouth foaming as the shaking grew more violent, he fought against the raw hatred that was clawing its way from inside him, threatening to consume his entire being just like it had all those years ago. He had barely escaped that path and, he knew, there would be no coming back this time. No, he decided. It wasn't going to be like that.

Taking a deep breath, he stared down into the eyes of the enemy under his blade. "You will face justice, monster," he uttered, chin held high.

"Not...today," came the reply.

The ground behind Ransik erupted like a volcano as the mass of black tendrils that had wormed their way underfoot exploded out all at once, twisting together to create a sharp spire.

Ransik hung in the air for a moment as if frozen in time before the tentacles withdrew and he collapsed lifelessly to the ground like a puppet that's strings had just been cut.

Djolnel moaned as he pulled the sword from his shoulder and climbed back to his feet. Ransik's death was a satisfying conclusion to his time in 1993. His body crackled and popped once again before electricity poured from his being in all directions.

"No," muttered Jen as she and Billy sprinted towards the figure draped in light. The two had found themselves together when avoiding the raining building structure and, immediately upon seeing Katie's successful intervention in the helicopter incident, she had grabbed the Blue Ranger and ushered him in pursuit of Ransik, who she knew had to be tracking Djolnel.

Ignoring the grisly scene on the ground, Jen futilely fired off shots from her Chrono Blaster. Too late to stop him, Djolnel was engulfed in white light, Jen's hopeless last ditch attempt to tackle him for naught, as the light subsided and he was gone.

"Godammit!" she screamed, her hands on top of her helmet. Everything they had gone through had been for nothing – again...and this time, it was even worse. She turned around to face the reality of her failure, where Billy knelt on the ground cradling Ransik's body, his white gloves now stained red.

The Pink Time Force Ranger dropped to her knees next to the two and removed her helmet. How could everything have gone so wrong!?

Ransik's breaths were short and shallow. With his last breath, he looked into Jen's eyes before the last glimmer of life faded from his.

A piercing scream broke through the ringing in Jen's ears as she looked up to see Nadira sprinting towards them, everybody else in tow. She swallowed hard as Ransik's daughter dropped down beside her and grabbed her father's head in her hands.

"Dad!? Daddy!?" she squeaked, her eyes flooded with tears. Unwilling to believe what was right in front of her, she looked to Jen for some kind of confirmation that, miraculously, everything would be ok. Unable to form any words, Jen could only bow her head, an action that answered any and all of the questions she could ask. With no hope remaining, Nadira buried her head in her father's body and cried.

 _I'm sorry, Nadira._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Zord BDR Hangar-

 _How do we come back from this?_

Jen led her team back into the BDR Hangar, heads held low. Zordon's words to her played on repeat in her head: "The stars do not illustrate our fates; we are received by our decisions at destiny's call." She was sure there was an important message to decipher from the words, but she wasn't in the right state of mind for that right now.

The Time Shuttle sat ominously before them, Ransik's body on board. Not only had this mission resulted in their greatest defeat but the consequences of what had happened this day would be felt in the 31st century.

Ransik was the most notable advocator of human/mutant cohabitation. In the last year alone, he had done more for that cause than had been achieved in all the years prior. Now, he was the lone casualty of a Time Force mission.

His political enemies would use this to flip things in the favour of conflict. He would be made a martyr for a cause that he opposed and all the good he had achieved would be undone...and it was all her fault.

The six Mighty Morphin Power Rangers waited by the shuttle, their civilian clothes stained in the sweat from the battle less than an hour before. Despite the short time they had been together, strong ties had been forged between the two teams. Goodbyes were not going to be easy.

Lucas and Zack measured one another up with their eyes briefly before embracing in a shake of hands, their earlier 'issue' a distant memory. "You're gonna have to be there for her, man. Look after her – she needs you," Zack told him. Lucas nodded, patting the Black Ranger on the shoulder before he walked up the steps into the Time Shuttle.

"Keep working that meditation, yeah?" said Tommy as he and Trip hugged out their farewell. Trip smiled for a moment, proud to be the one carrying on the legacy of the Green Ranger in the 31st century, before the smile faded and he boarded the shuttle.

"I'll miss you guys," Katie said, hugging both Kimberly and Trini.

"Not as much as we'll miss you," Trini replied, a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

"You are by far the coolest, kick-ass chick in this or ANY other century," Kimberly added, bringing tears to Katie's eyes, as well.

No words needed between two Red Rangers, Jason and Wes shook hands - both men feeling an utmost respect towards the other. Wes boarding the shuttle, only Jen was left.

Jason leaned towards the Time Force leader for a goodbye hug. "I'm sorry we couldn't..." he began, the words he needed to finish the sentence lost to him. A Power Rangers leader, like Jen, this defeat hung heavy over him.

"No," Jen replied, "you did more for us than I could have ever expected."

Jason nodded, unconvinced. Unbeknownst to the other Rangers, in the wake of Ransik's death and Djolnel's escape, Jason had secretly offered to leave with the Time Force team and help in their pursuit of the monster. Of course, Jen couldn't take him up on the offer – Jason's significance to the course of history was far too great and it would be wholly irresponsible for her to accept his proposition, no matter how tempting it was to bring a fighter like him on board.

Finally, she approached Billy, the Ranger who was with her at the moment of her greatest failure. Expecting a ritual similar to what she just experienced with Jason, he surprised her.

"I have something for you," he said, handing her his wrist communicator. She looked at the device in her hand and then looked back at Billy, confused. Did he really think that they could keep in touch across a thousand years with this?

"The Morphin Grid is all around us," he began to explain, noting the look on her face, "It's where we draw our energy from and, when we teleport, our bodies transform into that same Morphin energy."

Jen listened, intrigued by the prospect of where he was going with this.

"What you said, earlier, about not understanding how Djolnel moved through the timestream unafflicted, got me thinking and then, when I saw him escape, I knew that my theory was correct," he said, the suspense quickly becoming unbearable for Jen, anticipating the importance in what he had concluded.

"The timestream is built by chroniton particles. Djolnel doesn't just use chroniton energy – he becomes it."

It made perfect sense: Djolnel had somehow found a way to become the very energy that bridged the landscape of time. It's the reason they'd never been able to track him within the timestream and it's why he could travel through it unharmed.

"I tried to reconfigure the communicator to utilize chroniton energy rather than Morphin energy but I couldn't..." he said, almost ashamed. "If I had had more time..." he continued.

"No, Billy," she responded, wiping the tears from her eyes, "this is amazing. This...you have no idea what this means, right now."

She pulled him down into a hug. "Maybe we'll meet again one day, Billy," she said knowingly.

"I have a feeling we already have," he replied quietly, not ignorant to the many clues that had led him to the realisation.

Smiling briefly at his response, her demeanour changed drastically as she turned to face what waited for her in the shuttle.

The door closed behind her as she stepped aboard, where Nadira and the other Time Force officers sat quietly next to one another, a blanket draped over the body that lay on the weapons table only a few feet from them. Lucas stood up from his seat to make his way to the cockpit only to be stopped by Jen, who silently told him that she would take the reigns. She might not have been the pilot that he was but she didn't need to be right now, and he needed to be with Nadira.

Starting up the shuttle thrusters, Jen looked at the wrist communicator in her hand – the one beacon of hope that this entire mess had produced. As she readied the quantum field generator that would enable the quantum drivers, Wes sat down in the seat next to her. He placed his hand on her leg reassuringly, harkening back to what he had said to her earlier: they would do this together.

The Power Rangers of 1993 stood and watched as the Time Shuttle hovered above the ground before rocketing off in a brilliant flash of light and a roar like thunder that left no trace of the Power Rangers from the year 3005.

Standing there, the six teens from Angel Grove soaked in the events of today: their first meeting with real time travellers, their first meeting with another team of Power Rangers, and the first time they had lost a soldier.

A few more moments passed before Tommy put his arm around Kimberly and went home. One by one, the other Rangers followed suit until only Billy Cranston remained. Feeling that the moment called for wise words but unable to think of any of his own, he thought, instead, of what Zordon might have said as parting words to the Power Rangers of the future. Knowing exactly what those words would be, he smiled as he turned around and headed for home.

 _May the Power protect you, Rangers._

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 **Thanks for reading (if you didn't get bored half way through!) Sorry the chapter ended up so long, it kind of wrote itself at times. I did make some effort to edit it down but the character interactions are all really necessary going forward. Future chapters won't all be quite as long (I hope!)**

 **The next chapter will be up as soon as possible and, hopefully, won't take as long to write as this one did.**

 **Next Chapter – 1994: "The Sequel Prequel"**


	2. 1994

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable characters, places, names etc. in this non profit fanfiction._

Rated _T as chapters contain violence and occasional mild bad language._

* * *

 **Power Rangers: Time Force Team-Up**

 **Chapter 1994: "The Sequel Prequel"**

 **Part 1**

 **Angel Grove, California**

Angel Grove Mall

 _This isn't how I envisioned today happening._

When his girlfriend had suggested they go do something fun together, he had foolishly presumed that she meant do something that they would BOTH find fun.

"Come on, Tommy, try it on – it'll look great on you!" Kimberly urged, holding the shirt up against him to judge whether or not it was the right size.

Sighing, he took the shirt from her and went back into the changing room for the tenth time. He knew he really shouldn't complain – there was nobody he would rather spend the day with – but he really would have preferred if they could have finally just had that movie date, instead. Then again, it seemed like every time that was on the cards, they were interrupted by more important matters.

Over the last month, Lord Zedd's assaults on the planet had increased in consistency and, knowing that the Green Ranger's powers were in short supply, Tommy had often found himself the main focus of those attacks.

Only a few days prior, all of the Power Rangers with the exception of himself and Kimberly had found themselves incapacitated by the Guitardo monster's powers over gravity. Even though the duo were successful in defeating the creature alone, the battle took it's toll and the results were in: the Green Ranger was almost no more. How long he had left, exactly, Alpha 5 was yet to determine and it was that uncertainty that was the worst part of it.

"Oh my god, Tommy, you HAVE to buy this – you look so good!" she told him upon his emergence from the changing room.

"I dunno, Kim, I..." he began, his reflection in the mirror failing to convince him.

"What?" she asked, almost angry that he could disagree with her. If there was one thing that Kimberly Hart knew about, it was fashion.

"No, I don't mean...it's just...it's white," he said. "I just can't pull it off."

Kimberly drew him a gaze that he felt through to his bones. "Listen to me, Tommy Oliver," she said, adamantly, "that shirt..."

Cut off mid-sentence by screams and shouts from below, she and Tommy hurried over to the railing and watched as flames overtook the ground floor – the red and yellow wisps knitting together to form humanoid shapes.

"Oh, man," Tommy muttered quietly. "Here we go."

Goldar led a team of putties from the fire, his lips curling into what could have been either a smile or a snarl as the flames that brought them here dissipated. Eyes glowing, he pointed his golden sword up at the two Power Rangers. The dozen clay soldiers charged in their direction, seemingly oblivious to the stairwells, ascending straight up the wall.

Tommy and Kimberly fell back, looking for the best place to hold off their attackers. There were still civilians all around them, most either cowering or praying with their families behind any cover they could find.

Lord Zedd's strategy wasn't hard to figure out: he got two dead Power Rangers or, failing that, Tommy was forced into a situation that called for him to use up more of his powers. Either scenario would be deemed a victory.

Striking instinctively, Tommy side kicked the first putty to reach the top, sending it plummeting back to the floor below. Seconds later, it was on it's feet and climbing the wall once again.

"Shit," the Green Ranger cursed upon realisation that he had failed to land a direct hit. The "Z" emblem that Lord Zedd's putties wore on their chest acted not only as the source of their strength but also their greatest weakness. It served to feed Zedd's energy throughout their entire bodies but a hard enough impact focused directly on target could dislodge the emblem, the resulting overload sending shockwaves that literally broke the creatures apart.

"Alpha, come in!" Kimberly said quietly into her wrist communicator as the rest of the putties climbed over the railing. "Tommy and I are at the mall, we need help!"

There was no time to wait for a response as the putties closed in on her. There were too many civilians around for them to morph into Power Rangers and even fighting off the creatures in their civilian guises risked exposing their identities. Unfortunately, their choices were limited.

Retreating back into the store with one of the creatures in pursuit, Kimberly utilized her surroundings as a weapon, grabbing a jacket from a hanger and throwing it over the head of her chaser. Blinded, the putty scrambled to remove the item while Kimberly sent it reeling with a roundhouse kick, setting it up for Tommy to connect with a hard punch straight into its chest. The putty staggered backwards upon impact, glowing cracks appearing over it's body before it exploded across the room. One down, eleven to go.

With Goldar watching from the floor below, the duo saw continued success against the putties, a perfectly placed dropkick from Kimberly blowing another of them to pieces.

Tired of waiting, the golden-clad alien ran his fingers up the length of his sword – the dark magiks he evoked igniting the blade in an unnatural dark red flame. Swiping his weapon, he unleashed a fiery blast that collapsed the structure underneath the second floor. The ground beneath them crumbling, Tommy grabbed hold of Kimberly as they tumbled down the miniature avalanche that followed.

Surprisingly unharmed by the fall, the two looked at one another in relief before a shadow cast over them. Goldar stood with his sword pulled back, preparing to end both of their lives with one swing of the weapon. Shutting their eyes, the two teenagers prepared for their inevitable end, when a familiar crackling sound reached their ears.

A blur of red light knocked the monster off his feet as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers teleported onto the scene, having answered Alpha 5's call for assistance, and formed a protective line in front of their friends.

The dynamics of the situation changing, Goldar stepped backwards – he wasn't here for a battle against the full Ranger team. "See you soon, Tommy," he growled, the way he called him by his real name sending chills down the Green Ranger's spine.

Flames encompassing him, Goldar burned into the air and disappeared. The Rangers looked around to find that all other enemies were also gone.

"Are you guys okay?" the Yellow Ranger asked of her unmorphed comrades while the others surveyed the debris for injured civilians.

Still lying on the pile of wreckage that was once a part of the second floor, Tommy gave Trini a thumbs up as a sign of confirmation. Their work done, the four Power Rangers prepared to depart when Jason's wrist communicator sounded.

"What's up?" the Red Ranger answered into the device.

"Power Rangers," Zordon's voice bellowed over the communications frequency, "you must teleport to the Command Centre, immediately!"

The Red Ranger pulled his wrist away from his face, nodding towards Tommy and Kimberly before he and the others burst into a shower of rainbow coloured sparks and disappeared into the sky.

"Guess we're needed, elsewhere," said Kimberly quietly as she and Tommy climbed to their feet and headed for the nearest exit. Once outside, they would find a secluded area where they, too, could teleport to their base of operations.

Reaching the automatic doors, Tommy stopped for a moment to pull the white shirt over his head, leaving it draped over a nearby chair before following Kimberly outside.

 _Just not my_ colour.

* * *

 **Secret Location, California**

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _I can't believe it._

Sitting his helmet atop the control console as he watched the sinister figure displayed in the viewing globe, Jason felt a fluttering in the pit of his stomach – a feeling shared with each member of his team.

Five minutes ago, while the Rangers had been tending to the situation at the mall, the Command Centre's temporal scanners detected an anomaly not unlike the one they picked up on that unforgettable day last year.

"He's back," Zack said, hesitantly.

Djolnel the Dire had returned.

"There's something...different," Trini commented, acknowledging the dissimilarities already prevalent between the being's arrival today and that of six months prior.

Not only did the monster appear physically different, sporting a much more streamlined appearance, but his methods seemed radically changed from their last encounter.

"He sure didn't need one of those before," Tommy added, referring to the unusual, bronze coloured vehicle embedded in the lake behind him. The Rangers exchanged confused looks. Why would Djolnel need a vessel to travel through time?

"In his hand – look!" Billy pointed to the viewing globe, where Djolnel waded through the lake carrying a familiar looking object, reminiscent of an hourglass radiating blue light, apparently uninterested in the fleeing civilians around him. That, at the very least, did fit his modus operandi.

"Let's go," ordered Jason, lifting his helmet from the control console behind him. "We have a chance to stop him from activating it."

"Stop him!?" Kimberly choked. "I don't remember it being that easy last time."

"Yeah, he'd have killed us if it wasn't for..." Zack paused as realisation set in.

"Time Force!" Trini, finished for him.

"You think they're coming back, too?" Kimberly asked.

"I'm counting on it," replied the Red Ranger. He knew they had little hope of defeating Djolnel on their own but, with the knowledge they gained the last time they battled him, they may just be able to hold him off long enough for Time Force to appear and join in the fight. "Kim, suit up," he instructed.

"I'm coming, too," Tommy interjected, continuing before his friend could argue, "You know what this guy's capable of – you need me out there, man!"

Jason looked at his feet, reluctant to agree, knowing that Tommy's powers could give out at any time during battle.

Aware that he only wanted what was best for him, Tommy put his hand on the Red Ranger's shoulder. "Jase, if this IS the end, then I have to go out on MY terms."

Jason swallowed hard and then nodded.

"Alpha and I will monitor events from here," Zordon boomed from his energy tube. "Djolnel is, perhaps, the most powerful enemy you have ever encountered. Be cautious, Rangers, and may the Power protect you."

"Ai-ai-ai, good luck, Rangers," Alpha 5 added.

"It's Morphin Time!" called Tommy as he and Kimberly held their power Morphers out in front of them, opening them to the energies of the Morphin Grid.

"Back to action!" shouted Jason, helmet under arm.

 _This time, we end_ this!

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _This will suffice._

Djolnel stepped out of the lake and onto the grass of Angel Grove Park, the sounds of screams and sirens all around him. Twisting the hourglass-like device he held in his hands, he leaned over to implant it into the ground.

"It begins," he whispered to himself before an impact from behind staggered him, causing him to drop the object. Turning to meet his attacker, he received a flying kick to the face that knocked him down.

From his back, he reached for the hourglass that lay inches from him only for it to be kicked away, prompting him to flip back to his feet and adopt a fighting stance as he surveyed the six beings who opposed him.

"Power Rangers..." he hissed. They had come, just as HE had said they would.

"You're finished, Djolnel!" shouted Jason as his Power Sword materialised in his hands.

The being's cold eyes widened in response to his words. "How do you know that name?"

Although confused by his question, the Rangers maintained their focus and launched an attack – overwhelming their foe with a combination of punches and kicks before the Red Ranger took him down with a strike from his Power Sword.

Slightly surprised at how easily they had bested their opponent, the Rangers closed in as he retreated back towards the lake.

"Looks like you're the one caught off guard, this time!" Trini shouted at him as she summoned her Power Daggers.

The monster breathed heavily as he held his hand on his chest where Jason's sword had hit him, and then grinned. "Only if you thought I came alone."

The Rangers stood in a stunned silence as, in the doorway behind him, appeared a figure that none of them ever expected to see again.

"...Ransik?" Billy eventually managed. "How...?"

His question went unfinished as a sword, launched from the doorway, struck him in the chest and knocked him into the arms of his teammates behind him.

"What's going on?" Kimberly wondered out loud as Ransik treaded through the water towards them. None of them could explain how it was possible but the proof was right in front of them: Ransik was here and it didn't appear that he had come as an ally.

Roaring, he wrapped his hand around a protrusion that grew from his leg, drawing a long blade from within himself – the inhuman feat a result of incomprehensible genetic mutation – and dropped the large, metal case he had carried from the Time Ship onto the grass. Ransik didn't know where these Power Rangers had come from but, after coming this far, he wasn't going to let them stop him.

Ducking under a jumping spin kick from the Green Ranger, Djolnel retrieved the sword that his ally had launched at them moments before, rising back to his feet with a ferocious upwards slash that sent the Ranger tumbling. As if sensing another attack incoming, he turned just in time to see Kimberly leaping towards him. Sidestepping her effort, he caught her across the body with the edge of his blade, following with a massive front kick that sent her flying into the nearby water.

Ransik danced between his enemies, his swordsmanship good enough that each one felt the wrath of his weapon. Last Ranger standing, Jason missed with a swipe of his Power Sword but was successful with his follow up attack – a reverse strike with the butt of his weapon that smashed off of his opponent's hand, disarming him. Not to be dissuaded, Ransik retaliated with a swinging uppercut that lifted the Red Ranger into the air before crashing back to the ground.

"Plan?" Zack asked as he and the others regrouped around their leader. Before anybody could make any suggestion, Ransik tossed something at their feet – a small capsule with a blinking red light. With no time to react, the capsule detonated, releasing a wave of red energy that blew all of them off their feet.

Walking amidst the scattered bodies and weapons lying over the grass, Djolnel bent down to retrieve the hourglass that he had dropped at the start of the battle.

"Now what?" Ransik asked of his ally while his enemies crawled around on the ground.

"I need to activate the device," he replied, holding the gleaming object in his hand.

"And then what!?" the mutant spat back, angrily, now worried that Djolnel's plan was a dead end. His temper flaring, Ransik came face to face with his ally. "I didn't come all this way..."

"You're not activating that device," Jason's voice interrupted.

Turning around, the two time travellers found themselves looking down the barrel of the Power Blaster – the assembly of all five of the Rangers' Power Weapons – Jason's finger on the trigger and the other Rangers' feet planted behind him.

"You're NOT activating that device," he repeated sternly.

Readying to charge at his foes, Ransik stopped at the sight of a brilliant white light in the sky. A sound like crashing thunder followed and, from within the light, emerged an aircraft of near identical appearance to the one already in the lake.

Preparing for the worst, the Rangers turned the Power Blaster towards the new vessel, breathing a collective sigh of relief when a familiar figure dropped from it.

The Red Time Force Ranger touched down on the grass in a three-point stance and immediately burst into a sprint towards his nemesis. Pressing his finger against his Chrono Morpher, he summoned his Chrono Sabres from the Morphin Grid, appearing in his hands amidst two steaks of red light.

Ransik didn't see the attack coming. He folded to the ground, clutching at his stomach with both hands.

Djolnel looked on, stunned, as the Red Time Force Ranger stood over his fallen enemy, revelling in his victory as, at last, Ransik lay helpless at his feet.

"Ransik!" shouted Jen as she marched across the park, Trip and Katie in tow wearing matching Time Force uniforms, alongside one other individual, unknown to the Mighty Morphin team – an inhuman looking being of a seemingly metallic composition – also wearing the Time Force badge.

"Ransik, you are under arrest," Jen declared whilst preparing the energy bracelets that would bind him and nullify his abilities until they arrived back in their own time, "for murder, for terrorism, for time-crime and every other thing you've done that ever hurt another person!"

"Man, am I glad to see you guys!" Jason called over to the Time Force team.

"Stand aside!" the Red Time Force Ranger snapped back in response. "You are interfering in an operation that does not concern you!"

"Wait, what?" Kimberly asked, taken aback by the harsh reply. Her teammates had no answers as they looked on, just as confused as she was.

"Steelix, you're with Jen! Walker! Regis! On me!" he called. On his command, Katie and Trip fell into position at his side, all weapons pointed at their secondary target. Djolnel only flinched and he found himself on his knees as the Red Time Force Ranger took out his legs with two blasts from his Chrono Blaster.

Closing in, the Ranger handed a second pair of bracelets to Katie, while he and Trip kept their blasters pointed at their foe.

"This is the end of the road, Ransik!" Jen said into her enemy's ear as she bound his wrists.

"Not...today," he muttered, grinning.

"Look out!" Billy cried, noticing the blinking red light on the grass.

"What?" The Red Time Force Ranger spun around in response to the commotion. In an instant, Djolnel had taken advantage of the opportunity, grabbing the sword that lay next to him and plunging it straight through Katie's torso right before the grenade detonated – not releasing the same red energy wave as the one before but, instead, exploding with a searing white flash.

Everybody turned away as their eyes were raped by the blinding light, an eternity passing before the white that had consumed everything began to fade.

"Oh, no!" Billy was the first to his feet, rushing over to where Katie's body lay on the grass, the blade still lodged within her.

The Red Time Force Ranger blinked repeatedly as he tried to clear the black spots that contaminated his eyesight, looking around the park for any sign of their enemies.

"Son of a...!" he cursed upon realisation that, not only had their targets managed to escape but he had an officer down. "Steelix! Regis! Scan for mutant DNA! Secure their ship!" he called as he rushed to Katie's side. Removing his helmet to better survey the officer's injury, he noticed a quivering Trip still standing looking at his fellow rookie's bloody body. The pair hadn't been ready for this.

Billy cradled the girl in his arms, the situation inducing flashbacks of a similar nightmare six months prior. Holding his wrist communicator to his face, the Blue Ranger opened a transmission to the Command Centre. "Alpha, come in!" he called into the device, "Meet us in the BDR Hangar! Prep the surgery pod!"

"Hold it!" the Red Time Force Ranger interjected. "You're not taking her anywhere!"

"Wes, what are you talking about!? You know we can help her!" Kimberly screamed, panicking at the sight of the blood stained grass.

"Wes?" he replied in a confused tone.

"Alex!" Jen shouted, firmly, as she examined Katie's wound. The Ranger turned towards her immediately in response to the name. "We're not equipped to deal with an injury like this!" she told him, the concern in her voice evident.

"Alex?" Zack asked, surprised.

Pausing initially, Alex took a good look at the rookie officer's bleeding body next to him.

"Alex, they're Power Rangers!" Jen cried, desperately .

There was no more time to debate. "Jen goes with you," he said to Billy – more of a demand than a request.

The Blue Ranger nodded, "Trini?"

"Don't worry," she said quietly as she passed a still quivering Trip, "we'll look after her." She linked arms with Jen, who gave a look of acknowledgement to Alex, and all four of them teleported into the sky.

Alex watched the four beams of light disappear amidst the clouds. This was on him. He had to put an end to this before anybody else got hurt and that meant finding Ransik and his cohort and bringing them in. "Steelix, report?" he said, pressing behind his ear.

"No sign of mutant DNA," came the response. "Wherever they went, they're already outside of the scanner's range."

The Red Time Force Ranger cursed under his breath. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. "Trip, are you seeing anything?" he asked the green haired man next to him. "Are you picking up anything at all?"

"I'm...I'm sorry," the Xybrian answered, shaking his head, feeling overwhelmed and not particularly useful.

"The news doesn't get any better," Tommy commented, pulling the hourglass shaped device out of the ground, now void of the crystal blue substance that was once stored within.

"Djolnel activated the device," Zack said, grimly.

"What device?" Alex questioned. "Where did you learn that name? What do you know about what's happening here that we don't?"

"What are you talking about?" Jason answered, puzzled. "Everything we know is..."

"Alex!" Steelix shouted from across the park. "We've got a problem," he said. "A big one."

Unbeknownst to all involved, their interactions had not gone unobserved as a pair of very interested spectators watched on from the cover of the trees...

 _Goldar will want to know about this!_

* * *

The Command Centre

-Zord BDR Hangar-

 _She looks so vulnerable._

"Is she going to be ok?"

A hopeful smile from Trini was the only immediate response to Jen's question as Billy had his face so close to the data screen on the side of the surgery pod that his nose was almost pressing against it.

At the rear of the machine, Alpha 5 stood with his feet locked at the base of the pod and his face inserted into the visor port. From this position, an Alpha droid was fully integrated with the surgery pod – the surgical tools and equipment it possessed becoming an extension of his own robotic being. "Her injuries are severe but not terminal," the robot eventually answered as two slim mechanical arms inside the pod operated on Katie's internal organs. "She's a fighter."

Jen exhaled the breath she didn't know she'd been holding in. She knew that Alex would not be taking this situation well so Alpha's optimism was a huge relief. "Thank you," she said politely, her gratitude directed towards both Billy and Trini, as well.

She looked at the girl lying unconscious on the other side of the glass and couldn't help but to submit to the irony of the situation: Alex had chosen her because she was strong.

Katie Walker was a descendant of the old Delta genetic tests and, as a result, possessed a physical strength that rivalled that of even the strongest mutants. Ransik's infiltration of their facility had come, suspiciously enough, at a time when their number was spread thin. Riots and criminal activities had broke out all over the city, forcing Time Force to respond. Left with limited personnel at his disposal, Alex had to choose two rookie officers to fill out his pursue-and-capture unit. Katie's attributes made her an obvious choice.

Officer Trip Regis, on the other hand, Alex had chosen for an entirely different reason. As the first Xybrian officer in the history of Time Force, Trip could, theoretically, be the greatest asset that they had ever acquired. His alien people's innate ability to receive 'psychic' visions made him an incredible candidate, however, the unpredictable and random nature of this gift had, thus far, failed to meet expectations.

The crackling sound of teleportation interrupted her thoughts and she turned around to find that the previously empty hangar was no longer so.

"Steelix?" she asked, not expecting to see her partner before her at that time. Behind him stood not only Officer Regis and the rest of the Mighty Morphin Rangers but both Time Ships. Looking around, there was only one question that she needed answered:

 _Where's Alex?_

* * *

 **Earth's Moon**

Lunar Palace

 _So, they have returned..._

The palace floor clanged under his every footstep as he made his way through the murky corridor. After abandoning his attack on the Green Ranger earlier today, Goldar had instructed Squatt and Baboo to stay on Earth and observe the Rangers' movements – looking for the next opportunity to eliminate his nemesis. What they had reported back to him, however, was something he could not have anticipated.

Approaching the doorway at the end of the corridor, Goldar could already see the crimson glow radiating from his master's Chamber of Command. He was not in a good mood but, then again, he never was.

Bowing down on one knee, the armoured warrior waited as the throne turned on its turntable until, facing him, draped in a huge serpent, sat Lord Zedd.

Goldar pointed his eyes at the floor as he prepared to tell his master the news. "My Lord..."

"The walls of time have been breached," Zedd hissed through the metallic grill that covered his mouth. Goldar grimaced as he continued to stare downwards. He should have known that Lord Zedd would have been able to sense such a disturbance occurring on the planet below.

"Tell me, who are these beings from another time?" he asked as the serpent coiled around his arm.

"My Lord," Goldar began again, thankful that he had, at least, some information to provide, "I have encountered the beings you refer to once before. They travel here from the distant future."

"Tell me about them," Lord Zedd demanded.

"The one known as Djolnel: a being of great strength and an enemy of the Power Rangers," Goldar explained. "His ally..." He paused, unsure why one who worked alongside the Power Rangers in the previous encounter now opposed them and, further more, how Ransik was even alive. "Powerful. Loyalty...questionable."

"And the others?"

Goldar swallowed, knowing how his master would react to what he was going to say. "Power Rangers, my Lord."

At the mention, Lord Zedd stood up, his red glow burning brighter. The serpent he held in his hands appeared to straighten and solidify as its head contorted – growing out into a sharply drawn "Z" shape. "MORE Power Rangers!" he roared, furiously, banging the spear-like base of the sceptre with a force that cracked the surface of the turntable.

"My master, I have unfinished business with these Rangers from the future," Goldar stated, desperate to please his emperor. "I request that you send me to Earth to form an alliance with Djolnel. Together, we will destroy ALL of the Power Rangers!"

Zedd snarled under his mask, having heard Goldar make similar promises before. "You may travel to Earth to present your alliance," he granted, "however, do not forget to whom you pledge your allegiance."

"My loyalty to you is unwavering, my Lord," the warrior responded.

Huffing at the reply, Zedd wondering how many times his General had told the same thing to his previous master. "You won't be going alone," he growled, looking over the balcony towards Earth, his dark connection to the Morphin Grid allowing him an almost telepathic perspective that covered vast distances. The visor of his mask was like one large, glowing red eye as he scanned the surface of the planet for something that piqued his interest.

Finding such a candidate, he pointed his sceptre at the Earth, his dark energies channelled through it, and unleashed a crackling stream of electricity. "Arise, Rhinordd!" Convulsing as the energy entered its body, the rhinoceros began to transform as the evil influence corrupted its genetic sequence. The transformation would not take long to complete.

Goldar stood up, one arm across his chest, "Thank you, my Lord," he said before exiting the chamber with a devious smile on his face. Finally, he would take revenge on all of those who amassed against him on that day – including Ransik.

 _Vengeance shall be mine._

 _ **End of Part 1**_

* * *

 _ **Part 2**_

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _This place is..._

Jen looked around and tried to familiarise herself with her surroundings. Even a thousand years in the future, she had never seen anywhere quite like it. Following the situation in the park, Alex had taken the Rangers up on their offer to house the Time Ships and his team, however, he himself had opted to remain in pursuit of the fugitives on his own.

Stood before her in the centre of the room were the Power Rangers, now back in their civilians guises. One of them looked a little unsteady as he leaned against the control console next to him, apparently feeling the strain of the battle in the park.

Looking at the six legendary heroes in front of her, she considered her options. Time Force protocol forbade an officer from discussing the details of an ongoing operation – especially a time travel one – but this was certainly not a normal set of circumstances.

As Zordon looked on in silence from his energy tube, Jen couldn't help but feel intimidated in the presence of the legendary mentor but, with Alex out there alone and considering what Steelix had just told her, this wasn't the time to be shy. She needed their help and if she was going to gain their trust then, first, she had to give them hers.

"My name is Jennifer Scotts," she began. "I'm a Time Force officer...from the future."

As she expected, the Rangers exchanged puzzled looks, although for an entirely different reason than she thought.

Six months prior, the girl from the future had stood in that very same spot and told them her story and, yet, here she was introducing herself all over again. It was as though, to her, their last meeting had never occurred.

"My team and I have travelled through time in pursuit of the two dangerous fugitives you already encountered," she continued. "Together, they infiltrated a high security Time Force facility, murdered over a dozen officers and then commandeered one of our own Time Ships to escape back in time to 1994. I know that's a lot to take in right now and I'm sorry that I can't tell you much more than that – I've already said more than I should."

Their minds running amok with questions, the Rangers knew that they weren't going to be able to proceed until they had at least SOME answers.

Zack was first, as usual, with perhaps the foremost question on all of their minds. "What's the deal with Ransik?" He wasn't exactly sure of the best way to word the enquiry.

Slightly surprised that the Black Ranger had referred to her enemy by name, she presumed that the group had just picked it up at some point in the earlier confrontation. "Ransik is mutant scum – the worst of the worst." The disgust in her voice when she spoke of him was unmistakable. "He is wanted for murder, terrorism, grand theft – add time-crime to the list of charges. His accomplice is unknown to us at this time, as is the nature of that device," she said, motioning towards the hourglass in the containment unit atop the control console.

"The time-mapping device?" Kimberly said, concerned by Jen's words. Why didn't she remember?

"Time-mapping?" the Time Force officer repeated, completely unfamiliar with the term.

"Does the name 'Djolnel' mean anything to you?" Billy asked, suddenly, looking to test a theory – he was beginning to understand what was going on. As he expected, the girl from the future shook her head. "Then maybe you know him by a different name," he continued, "does 'The Dire' sound more familiar?"

Jen's eyes widened. The Dire? That wasn't possible...was it? The Dire was a myth...but then how did these people, from a thousand years in the past, even know that name at all?

"Why didn't you morph?" Trini interjected. "At the park, earlier, why didn't you and the others morph?"

"Morph?" she replied, still taken aback by the Blue Rangers revelation seconds prior . "We can't...only Alex has the Power. Why do you think that we..?"

"Who is Alex!?" Kimberly blurted out loud, unintentionally. Nothing was making any sense to her, and the man they met six months prior as 'Wes' now suddenly being 'Alex' was perhaps the biggest question other than Ransik's revival and apparent defection.

"ALEX is out there. Alone," came her response. "He thinks that he's protecting us because of what happened to Walker but he's going to get HIMSELF killed."

"Billy," Zordon bellowed, "set the scanners to search Angel Grove and the surrounding areas for both Alex and Ransik." The wizard had been silent up until this point, listening to the situation unfold. Like Billy, he believed he knew why things didn't line up against their last meeting with the Time Force officers.

As instructed, the Blue Ranger configured the Command Centre's computers. Djolnel, as they knew, was invisible to all of their tracking methods so scanning for Ransik's mutant DNA was their only shot of finding the pair. The problem was that while Ransik's mutation was most apparent on the outside, genetically, he most likely still looked almost identical to a normal human. It would be no easy task for the scanners to isolate his specific DNA defects amongst the rest of the population. "This could take some time," he said frowning.

"Time is the one thing we don't have," Jen said, adamantly. "After the battle in the park, my partner discovered that the Time Ship they travelled here in had been stripped of several components," she explained. "We think it's possible that, by using these parts, they may be able to construct a semi-stable time-warp device. We need to find them before that can happen."

"Scanners have picked up Alex in Angel Grove," Billy said. The Time Force Ranger's connection to the Morphin Grid had not been so difficult to detect.

Jen breathed a sigh of relief as Alex's image formed in the viewing globe. He had de-morphed and was patrolling the town on foot with his visual scanner active – most certainly scanning for a sign of mutated DNA, as well.

"We will continue to scan for Ransik whilst monitoring Alex's progress," stated Zordon.

Jen bowed her head. As much as she wanted to go straight to him, she also had the rest of the team to consider. With Alex gone, she was in command. "Thank you, Zordon," she said, modestly. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go check on my team." Heading towards the door out into the corridor that brought her here, she was stopped by the sound of Billy calling after her.

"Jennifer!" he shouted, coming up behind her just as the doors opened. "Could you answer one more thing for me? Please?"

The other Rangers, unable to hear the conversation, waited anxiously for the door to slide shut behind Jen.

"What's going on? Why can't she remember us, Billy?" Kimberly asked, praying that the team genius had, at least, SOME idea.

Billy smiled softly. "They travelled here from the year 2997," he replied. "This is the first time they've met us."

 _Now comes the tricky part._

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _Should've taken that damn junior patrol job._

Lieutenant Jerome Stone pressed his fingers into his eyes as he once again posed the question to the two young men who stood before him.

"Are you or are you not the same two kids who showed up at the ETA cordon last week?" Over the last few months, Lt. Stone had often found himself posted at the aftermath of suspected scenes of Extra Terrestrial Activity, much like the incident that had taken place only thirty minutes prior. The entire North end of the park was currently off limits to the public until the government spooks were finished in their investigation.

"No!" the larger of the duo repeated. "How can you confuse us with those kids!? They were just kids!" he proclaimed, clearly deepening his voice in an attempt to sound older. "We're...federal agents."

"Yeah!" the smaller of the two shouted, "Federal!"

"Agents Bulkmier and Skullovitch," Bulk declared. "Now, if you would step to the side..."

"Boys," the officer began, pulling his notebook out of the pocket on his shirt, "you do realise that impersonating a federal officer is a criminal offence."

The duo looked at one another with faces of grave concern.

"Uh, did-did we say federal?" Bulk stuttered. "We-we meant...um..."

"Fedora," Skull finished for his friend, chewing his chewing gum open mouthed and nodding his head in self-approval.

Both Bulk and Lt. Stone looked at Skull for a second, dumbfounded. "Fedora officers?" the police lieutenant asked.

"Yeah!" Skull replied.

"Wanna buy a hat?" Bulk asked, trying to make the save.

"Get out of here!" Lt. Stone ordered, the look on his face not that of a man to be messed with. The two young men retreated with their tails between their legs and he hoped that it was the last time he would ever need to deal with the unfortunate pair.

Hurrying away, Bulk and Skull cursed silently as their genius plans were thwarted once again. When Bulk had first conceived the idea of uncovering the secret identities of the Power Rangers, he never could have predicted that it would turn out to be such a difficult task.

"How're we gonna find Power Ranger evidence now, Bulky?" Skull asked.

"So, did either of you boys see anything here, today?"

Startled by the woman's voice, the duo spun around quickly. "Who are you!?" Skull asked, rudely.

"María Delgado," she replied, unoffended by his tone. "CBS news."

"Hey! You're that reporter-lady!" Bulk cried. "You were in that helicopter crash last year! On the day...that there were ELEVEN Power Rangers!"

Skull's eyes widened at the realisation. "You have to tell us about it!" he said. "Where did they all come from!?"

"Why were there so many, that day!?" Bulk added.

"Where did they all go!?" Skull continued.

"I don't know," María answered, cutting them off before they asked anymore questions she didn't yet have answers to, "but eyewitnesses say that, here, today, they saw TWO Red Power Rangers."

Bulk and Skull looked at each other with their mouths opened wide. "You think it's the same one from last time!? I mean, the same two or..." Bulk spluttered, barely able to contain his excitement.

"I don't know that, either," María replied.

 _But I'm going to find out._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _Man, this is too much._

"So let me get this straight," Tommy started, still trying to process the explanation that Billy had just given the team, "The last time we met Time Force and Djolnel, wasn't the first time that they had met us. THIS is the first time they've met us, our second time meeting them?"

"Affirmative," Billy replied.

"That's how they knew," Jason said, a relieved smile across his face. "Ever since they were last here, I've had this feeling, that I just couldn't shake, that something bad was gonna happen – that our identities would be exposed...or worse! But this is how they knew. Not through historical records or old news stories or anything like that. They knew our identities because we told them!"

"Affirmative," Billy said again, the irony not lost on him.

Kimberly rubbed her fingers delicately against her temples before raising her hand into the air, "Can somebody please come back and pick me up? I am way behind here!" she complained.

"It explains why everything is SO different," Trini noted. "A lot of things can change in eight years."

"Like someone's NAME?" the Pink Ranger again interjected. Sure enough, none of them could offer any theories on why the Red Time Force Ranger's name would be different after any amount of passed time.

"Man, I can't believe these guys are eight years younger than they were when we met them six months ago," Zack commented, shaking his head as if in disbelief.

"None of that is even the most complex part of the situation," Billy added.

"Then what is?" asked Kimberly, not sure she could handle anything MORE complicated.

"We know that Time Force chase Djolnel back to 1993. That means that, whatever else happens here today, we fail to stop him," he explained.

"But we know now," Tommy said. "We know, so we can do something different?" He looked up to Zordon, unsure of whether he had been making a statement or asking a question.

"Time is a delicate organism," their mentor answered. "By changing the course of events today, you would alter not only the future but your own past."

"If we defeat Djolnel today, then he never travels back to last year and what happened that day, doesn't happen at all," Jason theorized, "but, then that would change the circumstances of today. We wouldn't even be having this conversation, would we?"

Silence fell over the team as they contemplated the situation.

"That's it, I'm out!" Kimberly said finally, sure that she couldn't possibly take in anymore.

"But we have to try, don't we?" Trini questioned. "We can't just fail on purpose."

"Knowledge of the future is a dangerous burden to carry. The decision you now face is made between two impossible choices," Zordon acknowledged. "Although not free of risk, I believe the best course of action is to move forward as normal and hope that time is its own master."

"So Time Force is chasing this guy for another eight years..." Zack said, still processing the overload of information.

"Not if we stop him, today," Jason declared, adamantly, looking around at the other Rangers. "Djolnel doesn't just threaten our past and our future – he's a threat to everything for the next thousand years! But if we stop him right here, right now?"

"We all have to be on the same page about this," Trini added, showing her support for Jason.

"All of us. All in," Tommy said, putting his hand out into the centre of the group.

"All in," Zack responded, placing his hand on top of Tommy's. Jason, Trini and Billy followed in kind, leaving only Kimberly to make her choice.

"What the hell," she said, flippantly, adding her hand to the stack.

 _The last six months have sucked, anyhow._

* * *

-Down Town Angel Grove-

 _Only enough left for one more._

Ransik grunted as he pressed the needle through the curdled skin on his forearm. He despised having to depend on the treatments but, without regular injections of the serum, his damaged DNA sequence would further mutate uncontrollably, literally tearing him apart from the inside. One day, he promised, he would slaughter Venomark – the bastard responsible for leaving him with this condition.

On the other hand, a side effect of the injection would serve to temporarily accelerate his body's already high rate of self mending. Running his fingers across the wound on his torso, courtesy of the Red Time Force Ranger, he could already feel it beginning to heal.

"It's ready," Djolnel stated as he walked into the office, dropping the soldering iron at his feet. This 'service garage' in which they had taken refuge may have been primitive but it had provided him the means to use the salvaged Time Ship parts to construct an operational time-warp device.

"And our means of transportation?" Ransik reminded him, standing up from behind the desk. Should the device function as intended, they would still require a vehicle or structure made of a material that could protect them from the rigours of the timestream – something they were unlikely to simply stumble across in the 20th century.

Djolnel grinned at the mutant's question. "Our transport will come to us."

Tilting his head as he looked at his ally, Ransik wondered how it was that he could know of these things yet to come? There was clearly something that Djolnel wasn't telling him and his patience was beginning to waver. Sword in hand, he walked hastily in the direction of his wayward associate – intent on getting the answers to his questions.

"Ransik!"

The mutant's lips curled into a smile at the sound of the familiar voice. He would get the answers he wanted from Djolnel in due course but, right now, there was another matter to attend to.

"I'll give both of you the chance to make this easy," Alex said from across the workshop, "Stand down." Pressing behind his ear, his visual scanner retracted to reveal the serious look in his eyes.

Unimpressed, Ransik handed his sword to Djolnel as a long blade grew outwards from his elbow.

"Suit yourself," Alex remarked rolling up his sleeve to expose the Chrono Morpher on his wrist, "but don't say I didn't give you the chance. Time for Time Force!"

Pressing his fingers against the morpher, the device immediately recognised his DNA, opening the Morphin Grid around him as the energies enveloped his body. When the light dissipated, his Time Force uniform had been replaced by the garb of the Red Time Force Power Ranger.

The combatants circled for a moment, each of them looking for an opening when, without warning, the air between them suddenly erupted into flames. All three stepped back at the appearance of the blaze, watching the fire begin to take on a humanoid shape.

"Hello, Djolnel," Goldar growled through his fanged teeth, his red eyes glowing.

 _My revenge shall be collected in full._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Zord BDR Hangar-

' _The Dire?' Is that even possible?_

Jen was familiar with the stories but, until today, she hadn't even considered that they were anything but that. The Dire was an urban myth – a bogeyman created to fill in the blanks amongst the cold cases of Milano City over the previous decade. Crime scenes with no trace of a suspect leading to tales of a monster living on the outskirts of society, undetectable to all known forms of tracking and surveillance. He couldn't actually be real...but the more she considered it, the more plausible it seemed to become. During their attack on the base, only Ransik could be seen in any of the surveillance footage and the security system detected only one intruder. Could this 'Djolnel' actually be 'The Dire?' Even if he was, something about the whole situation didn't add up.

"How did they do this?" Jen asked amidst the disarray inside the enemy Time Ship.

Steelix looked around at the interior, not sure where to even begin answering his partner's question. "Looks like they used a tachyon pulse to jump-start the quantum-field generator – blew out the quantum drivers upon entry into the timestream," he surmised, walking around the ship as if following the trail of damage. "Bypassed the harmonic regulator to supercharge the particle accelerator, the excess feedback fusing the warp-drive..."

"That's VERY interesting," noted Jen, not really following the techno-talk, "but that's not what I meant. How did they do ALL of this? How would they know how to build a time-warp device? Or steal a Time Ship? How did they even breach security at the base in the first place!?"

"What is it that you're saying?" Trip asked, even though he could already tell where she was going with this.

Jen looked down for a moment, considering the ramifications of what she was about to say. "They couldn't have done it. Not alone. There had to be someone else. Someone on the inside...a Time Force traitor."

Steelix and Trip looked at one another. A traitor within the ranks was a huge accusation. If someone inside Time Force had helped Ransik to orchestrate all of this, then the blood of all of those dead officers was on their hands – not to mention the possible consequences of this chase into the past.

Putting an end to their conversation, an almost deafening wail sounded all around them, the hangar overtaken by a flipping red and yellow light that illuminated from all four corners of the ceiling.

"What's going on?" shouted Trip over the noise.

Just then, the door slid open and the Power Rangers marched into the hangar, sans Tommy, who had remained back at the control room so that Zordon could, once again, attempt to boost his power level.

Jen stood tall as the Rangers approached, anticipating what they had to say.

"He found them," Jason told her. "Alex has engaged Ransik and Djolnel."

Jen nodded. "Then you have to send us..."

"They're not alone," he interrupted. "Our enemies have joined forces. Together, they may be stronger than either of our teams on their own...but against ALL of us?"

Jen looked the Red Mighty Morphin Ranger in the eye. If their enemies were truly united, then Alex was going to need more than three Time Force officers as back up. Plus, that determination in Jason's voice could win anybody over.

"Ok, Power Rangers," she said, smiling.

 _Let's see why they call you 'legends.'_

 **End of Part 2**

* * *

 **Part 3**

Downtown Angel Grove

 _Oh, hell._

The metal shutter was ripped right off the runner by the force that he was thrown against it. This wasn't going as planned. Rolling to a stop outside, the Red Time Force Ranger looked up and saw his assailants walking menacingly through the doorway towards him. Neither Ransik nor Djolnel knew who this golden monster was but, already, he had proven a formidable fighter.

"You're either very stubborn or very foolish," Ransik accused his enemy. "Either way...your time just ran out!" At that moment, two energy arrows struck the ground in front of him, drawing a halt to his forward momentum.

Looking over his shoulder, Alex saw the Pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger leap from a nearby rooftop and touch down softly next him. "Hope you don't mind us appearing here uninvited," she said as the Red, Yellow, Blue and Black Rangers somersaulted down next to them.

"You okay?" Jason asked as he took position up front.

"I am now," Alex replied, stepping up alongside him.

Ransik seethed at the sight of the six Rangers standing together. Despite the wound in his torso already looking several days old when it was opened just over ninety minutes ago, he would have preferred not to face their combined might until he was fully healed. His concerns were partially addressed when Goldar plunged the tip of his sword into the ground – igniting a ring of fire around the Power Rangers that came to life in the form of ten of Lord Zedd's putties. The numbers now back in their favour, the nefarious trio charged into the frenzy.

Trini fired off a barrage of kicks to hold off her clay attackers before Kimberly leapfrogged over her head and crossed her feet around a putty's neck, flipping herself backwards and dragging it headfirst into the ground. A hard axe-kick dropped across its chest by the Yellow Ranger saw it shatter across the pavement.

"Gotta pity that putty," the Pink Ranger quipped as she and her teammate moved on to their next opponent.

"These things don't stay down!" cried Alex, observing that his efforts of evisceration and cranial damage did little to dissuade the clay monstrosities.

"Alex!" Jason yelled, "Aim for the Z!"

Hearing the instructions, Alex intercepted one of his lunging foes with a hard punch directly on target. Satisfied at the sight of the enemy exploding in all directions, he turned towards the putties that huddled behind him. "Who wants to be next?"

His question was answered by a golden blade that missed him by inches. "This time, you DIE!" Goldar spat as his sword clashed against the Time Force Ranger's Chrono Sabre.

"I think you have me confused with someone else!" Alex replied, sternly.

With clay body parts exploding overhead, Ransik found himself on the end of a triple team from Jason, Zack and Billy. Sluggish from his injury, he was unable to react fast enough to their combined efforts and soon found himself on his back.

The sound of rumbling and the shaking of the earth beneath them put a temporary halt to the action as the Rangers braced themselves for whatever was coming. A mighty roar filled the air as a massive, hulking beast crashed through the side of a building at the other end of the street. Everything in its stead was tossed upwards and to the sides by the giant horn mounted on its face or simply crushed beneath its giant feet as it charged straight towards them at a speed far surpassing what a creature of its mass should be able to achieve.

"Uh-oh!" uttered Zack as he realised exactly what rushed towards him. No time to consider his options, the Black Ranger dived out of the way of the rampaging beast. Following suit, Jason leapt out of the way of the relentless creature, and then so did Kimberly, then Trini and Billy – leaving only Alex standing in it's path.

Planting his feet on the ground, the Red Time Force Ranger extended both his arms in front of him and grabbed the monster by the horn – it's forward momentum not decreasing in the slightest. Alex maintained his form, the ground crumbling around his feet as the Rhinordd pushed him backwards like he was on roller skates. Tiring of the stow away, the monster began swinging it's head around frantically as the Power Ranger held on until he could hold on no longer and was thrown off into the air.

"Alex!" yelled Jason as the Time Force Ranger disappeared over the rooftops. "Oh, man!" The monster turned its gaze back towards them, scraping the ground with its feet as it lined them up, letting loose another terrible roar before charging at them once again.

Retreating back inside the workshop, Djolnel made the final preparations for their escape. The time was almost upon them. Everything had happened just as HE had said that it would. The time-warp device would need to be relocated to the vessel when it arrived. Suddenly feeling a presence behind him, Djolnel turned around to find himself under the gaze of Steelix.

"All alone, officer?" he asked as he approached the mutant.

"Not exactly," came Jen's words from behind as she pressed her Chrono-Blaster to the back of his head. "The Dire, is it?" she questioned, "Or should I call you Djolnel?"

The being laughed in response. "You don't know it, yet," he said, quietly, "but THIS is the beginning of something beautiful between us."

Trip approached from the side with the energy bracelets in his hand, until he was stopped by Steelix.

"I've got this," he stated, taking the bracelets out of Trip's hand. "Keep your weapon on him." The Xybrian did as instructed, his finger on the trigger of his Chrono-Blaster. The only problem was that, as Steelix went to apply the binds, he seemed to accidentally get in the way of Trip's line of fire.

Ever the opportunist, Djolnel leapt up through the space between his back and his hands before the bracelets could be secured – mule kicking Steelix right into Jen, the pair smashing through a car lift which caused the suspended jeep to fall.

"No!" cried Trip, watching in horror as the vehicle landed on top of his teammates. A snickering laugh reminded him that the situation was much worse than that: he was now alone, face to face with 'The Dire.'

Swaying his body from side to side, Djolnel toyed with the rookie officer who tried desperately to keep the monster in his crosshairs.

"Take the shot," the villain teased, edging closer and closer to Trip, "unless you think I'm faster than your weapon."

His hands trembling, he had no chance of firing a shot on target. The muscles in Djolnel's legs twitched, preparing to pounce...

"Don't tell me you forgot about me?"

Turning quickly, he was unable to react in time to the hard kick that sent him crashing against the stack shelves against the wall.

"Trip! Are you ok?" the Green Ranger asked after dealing with Djolnel.

Exhaling a deep breath, Trip nodded, "...but Jen and Steelix..." He said, pointing over to the jeep that had fallen on his teammates. Rushing over to the vehicle, the pair were relieved to hear a voice from underneath.

"We're ok," Steelix said, pulling himself out from under the machine, "I got her." Using his own body to shield Jen, Steelix had taken the full force of the impact but was relatively unharmed as a result of his mutation.

"Thanks, partner," Jen said quietly while Tommy helped her to her feet. Having saved her from being crushed beneath the jeep, she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty that she had privately pegged Steelix as the possible traitor inside Time Force.

A large wrench whizzing by their heads reminded them all that not everyone in the room was a friend.

"You guys get out of here," the Green Ranger ordered. "Go! I got this!"

Sprinting at Djolnel , Tommy unloaded with a furious assault of punches and kicks, his body overcome with the now too familiar strain that came with such exertions – a strain that he had felt for the very first time in a moment just like this one six months prior. Six months of agonizing over his fading powers. Months of conservation for fear that they could fail at any moment. Now, with that failure imminent, all of those months of frustration and sadness and anger seemed only to give him more strength.

Djolnel's body smashed through the brick wall like a wrecking ball as a result of the Green Ranger's attack. As he crawled across the ground, he was grabbed around the neck by two hands and hoisted unceremoniously to his feet.

"I'll ask you this only once," Ransik grunted as a sharp blade began to grow from his forearm towards Djolnel's neck, "where is out transport?"

Before the question could be answered, both of them diverted their eyes towards the crimson flashes above them. Like shooting stars, two of Lord Zedd's growth bombs fell from the sky.

"Yesssss," Goldar hissed as he reached into the steaming pothole to retrieve the metallic orb.

"Put it down, Goldar!" Zack shouted while rolling out of the Rhinordd's way, instantly regretting his wording.

"As you insist!" the monster replied, removing the firing pin and disappearing amidst the ensuing explosion.

"Dammit!" Jason cursed as the now gigantic Goldar emerged from the smoke, towering over everything and casting a dark shadow over the land.

"Look out!" cried Trini, the giant wasting no time as he pulled his hand away from his face to unleash two giant sized bolts of energy at the Rangers.

Jason looked around at the fire and destruction all around them while, at the same time, the Rhinordd continued to wail through the flames. Dividing their efforts between Goldar and the rhino monster was going to be hard enough, and they still had Ransik and Djolnel to contend with. "Tommy..." he began.

"Don't worry," the Green Ranger answered before he could even finish what he was about to say, "I'll deal with Goldar."

Watching on as, once again, his best friend leapt selflessly into what could very well be his final battle, Jason called out to the rest of his team, "Rangers! Assemble the Power Blaster!"

The giant Goldar grinned at the deafening robotic roar that eclipsed all other sounds around them as the mighty Dragonzord arose from the waters.

"And again, old friend," Tommy said quietly to himself before once again blowing into the mouthpiece on his Dragon Dagger to send his Zord into battle.

As the two giants clashed over by the harbour, Djolnel motioned towards the Dragonzord and finally answered Ransik's question: "Our transport," he laughed.

The Rhinordd scraped the ground with its feet, preparing to charge once again, only this time it faced the combined energy of the Power Blaster. "All right, big boy, let's see what you're made of," quipped Kimberly.

"Fire!" called Jason as he squeezed the trigger on the blaster. The energy beam, used to destroy so many of their enemies in the past, failed to penetrate the thick hide of the charging monster.

"It's not working!" Billy cried from behind Jason. "We need to abort!"

Closing in on the Rangers position, the monster's horn began to glow. Not only did the Power Blaster fail to produce any damage but the Rhinordd had somehow absorbed the excess energy, channelling it and redirecting it through its horn.

The Rangers scattered like mice as their own energy beam came back at them, followed immediately by the rampaging rhino monster – another local business collapsing as the seemingly unstoppable beast tore straight through it.

"We need to close the door on this, now!" yelled Jason. There was no telling how many innocents had been injured – or worse – since this battle began.

His fingers moving meticulously over the air holes on the handle, Tommy again blew into the Dragon Dagger to send commands to the Dragonzord. Obeying, the massive machine primed its weapons system, firing four missiles from its fingertips that exploded against Goldar's golden armour.

The Green Ranger had been successful in luring Goldar out into the water away from buildings and innocents. The water was the Dragonzord's domain. Just then, he noticed a red blinking light from the side of his eye. "Oh, sh..." The wave of energy released from the grenade sent him soaring from the rooftop to the hard ground below. He groaned as he lay on the concrete, helpless to react as his arm was pinned down by Ransik's foot.

"Take the dagger and the Dragon will be ours to command!" Djolnel declared. The Dragonzord would not only act as their vessel back to the 30th century but would also serve as the means of which they would destroy all of Time Force and usher in the new age! It was all happening, just as HE had foretold.

Prying the Dragon Dagger from the Green Ranger's hand, a sinister smile formed across Ransik's face. The power of the Dragon in his hand.

"Now," Djolnel continued, "play the flute."

The smile instantly fading from his face, Ransik looked, dumbfounded, at his ally. "Play the flute!?" he spat. "Do I look like I graduated with a degree in music!? I don't know how to play a flute!"

Djolnel's mouth hung open for a moment. "Oh," he muttered. With everything happening just as HE had said it would, Djolnel had stopped considering exactly HOW things were happening. "Let me see," he said, taking the dagger from Ransik to examine it. "It can't be too complicated...you blow into this bit, right?"

SLASH

Djolnel screamed as his hand landed at his feet, severed by the blade of the Red Time Force Ranger. A kick to the body put Ransik on his back, allowing Alex to grab the Dragon Dagger out of the bloody hand on the ground.

"I'm...ok," the Green Ranger lied as Alex helped him to an upright position.

"Let's get you out of here," the Time Force Ranger suggested, slinging Tommy's arm around his neck in order to move him to safety.

Just then, they witnessed something that, had they not seen, they wouldn't have believed. Djolnel's hand, cut from his body by Alex's Chrono Sabre only seconds before, was dragging itself across the ground by its fingertips, leaving a bloody trail behind it.

Both Rangers and Ransik watched on in confusion at what was transpiring, however, none of them were as shocked as Djolnel himself. Even after all this time there was still so much he didn't know.

"Wait, it isn't..." Tommy started to say as the hand reached its destination, flicking the firing pin out of the nearby growth bomb that still lay in the small impact crater on the road.

Not wanting to wait for what came next, the Green Ranger placed his hand around the Power Morpher on his belt, teleporting himself and Alex out of dodge as Djolnel and Ransik were engulfed by the growth bomb's blast.

For a moment, Ransik thought that everything around him was getting smaller before his mind adjusted to the change in perspective. This wasn't supposed to happen. Djolnel's 'carefully devised' plan was a failure. He cursed himself for becoming a player in someone else's game. Now, if he ever wanted to be reunited with his daughter, he was going to have to allow himself to be apprehended by Time Force. Before he let that happen, however, he was going to kill every last one of these Power Rangers. Then, he was going to snap Djolnel's neck.

"We have to stop them!" Alex proclaimed from the rooftop across town that Tommy had teleported them to. This mission had been rapidly spiralling out of control since the moment his team arrived in 1994 and things didn't look to be getting any better.

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

"Zordon?" Tommy answered into his wrist communicator as he slouched against Alex.

"Tommy," came the wizard's voice over the transmission, "Lord Zedd's rhino monster must be stopped before it causes any more devastation." The words went without saying – from their rooftop perch, they could see the pattern of destruction that the Rhinordd had woven. Despite their best efforts, Jason and the others had failed to contain the beast.

"Alex, YOU must destroy the monster's horn," Zordon instructed, the Command Centre's scanners having determined the source of the creature's power. "It is the only way to stop it."

"Me?" Alex questioned, not even sure exactly to whom he was speaking. Wait...did The Green Ranger call him 'Zordon?'

"It has to be you, Alex – I'm too weak!" Tommy told him. "Take this," he said, pressing his hand against the Time Force Ranger's chest. A green light radiated from both of their bodies before the golden Dragon Shield that decorated the attire of the Green Ranger dematerialised and transferred to the body of the Red Time Force Ranger.

"Whoa!" Alex blurted, admiring the golden armour that now adorned him.

"It's the only way you'll be able to get close enough. Go!" The Green Ranger ordered. Nodding, Alex leapt from the building.

* * *

"Hurry, hurry!" shouted Jen as the last of the trapped civilians made it out from within the collapsing structure. Steelix let out a sigh of relief as he allowed the debris that had been blocking their exit to drop to the ground.

"Is that everyone?" Trip asked, worried that someone would get left behind.

Jen tapped behind her ear as she adjusted the settings on her visual scanner. "No more civilians," she confirmed. "Now quick, let's get back to..." she stopped in her tracks as she looked back towards the battle over by the docks to see the gigantic forms of Ransik and The Dire emerge from over the rooftops.

Trip stood with his mouth hanging open. "This is insane," he said quietly to himself. How the heck were they supposed to apprehend two giants!?

"Wait," Jen said, tapping at the scanner again to zoom in for a clearer image. "Is that...Alex?"

* * *

"Are you okay?" Alex asked as he offered his hand to the other Red Ranger lying belly down on the ground.

"Yeah, thanks," Jason replied, second guessing his answer when he looked up and saw a Red Ranger wearing the Dragon Shield. Maybe he got hit harder than he thought?

"I've got it from here," the Time Force Ranger declared, "your friend needs your help."

Jason looked around to see Djolnel and Ransik closing in on the Dragonzord. He didn't like leaving his team in someone else's hands but Tommy wasn't going to be able to hold out on his own against THREE colossal foes. "Take this thing down, Alex!" he said, hopefully, before hurrying off in the direction of the giants.

"Argh!" moaned Tommy as the Dragonzord's cockpit shuddered from the impact of the blow. After giving his shield to Alex, he had opted to control his Zord manually rather than stay exposed on the rooftops in his weakened state. Activating the robot's tail-drill, the Green Ranger attempted to drive a hole straight through Goldar's armour – an effort wasted when Ransik and Djolenl joined the fray. There were too many of them! The trio dragged the Zord by its tail as Tommy frantically tried to free it from their grasp when the sudden crash of thunder offered him salvation.

Like the legendary creature of Chinese mythology, the Red Dragon Thunderzord slithered through the sky. "Alright," Jason said from behind the controls, "let's see how you like these odds!"

"Don't let up – keep firing!" shouted Billy to his comrades, all of them following his instructions by unloading on the Rhinordd from all sides with their Blade-Blasters. Absorbing the energy they fired at it, the monster was unharmed by their attack but, if the Blue Ranger's calculations were correct (which they normally were), they were going to need that energy to succeed in this endeavour.

"Alex, you're up!" Billy shouted after he and his team were once again forced to dive out of the rampaging monster's path. He knew that they may only get one shot at this.

Energy blasts from the Rhinordd's horn exploding all around him, Alex sprinted straight towards the charging beast. As he leapt into the air, the monster fired a concentrated blast straight for him. His weapons glowing with red energy, he executed the Time-Strike attack – the Dragon Shield providing the extra protection needed as he used his Chrono Sabres to ride the energy beam straight back to the source.

The Rhinordd screamed and tossed its head around as its smoking horn landed on the ground. Seeing red, the hulking beast opted to charge again even without its horn. Running now in the opposite direction and with the Rhinordd right behind him, Alex ran up the wall of an already crumbling building, backflipping over the top of his pursuer. His Vector Weapon appearing in his hands, he fired a vector blast straight down onto the monster's already wounded head – its cranium exploding as it crashed through the wall. Buried under an avalanche of bricks, the rampaging Rhinordd was finally brought to a stop.

"That's how you bury the demons of the past!" Alex exclaimed as the other Rangers crowded around him. The celebration would be short, however, as the battle was not yet won...

Sparks flew from the Dragonzord's body as Goldar's sword struck against it, the tussle made all the more difficult as Djolnel's detached-but-living hand had found a home across the Zord's face, partially blocking Tommy's view. "Oh, man, I don't think I can take much more of this!" he proclaimed, another strike from the golden blade jerking him aggressively in the cockpit. The Dragonzord stumbled backwards from the impact directly into the arms of Djolnel, who wrapped his arms around it, trying to hold it in place for Goldar to deliver another blow. His options limited, the Green Ranger took a chance. Timing his enemy's attack, he lowered the Zord's head directly into the sword's path.

"Nooooarggggh!" Djolnel screamed upon seeing the hand split in two around the edge of the golden blade. He had yet to come to terms with the dismembered body part apparently having a life of its own, now he had to come to terms with it being eviscerated, as well!

Tommy's gamble had paid off. Despite the Zord's head taking a damaging hit, literally cracking part of the infrastructure, none of the major systems were damaged and, with an enraged Djolnel busy confronting Goldar over his misfire, he had bought himself a moment's respite.

Jason wrestled with the controls at his hands while Ransik attempted to get to him by pulling apart the jaws of the Red Dragon. "Eat this, ugly!" he shouted as fire erupted from the Zord's mouth right into the mutant's face, forcing him to release his grip.

"Dammit," he cursed as his monitor alerted him to a coolant system failure. Turning a valve on the controls mounted on the wall next to him, he flicked a switch to open the vents located across the Zord's body so as to expel the rest of the gas reserves before they burned up inside the machine.

"Jason! Tommy! Do you read me?"

"Alpha!" Jason answered the robotic voice over the communications.

"I've finally done it! I've completed the calculations required to adapt the Dragonzord to operate on the same frequency as the Thunderzords!" the droid explained.

"Wait, what?" Tommy asked, surprised.

"Alpha is reconfiguring the transformation sequence in both of your Zords from the Command Centre," Zordon told them. "The time has come to combine your powers to form the Double Dragon Megazord."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Jason said excitedly.

"I'm with you, partner!" Tommy added. "Initiating Double Dragon Megazord sequence!"

Igniting the venting gasses to create a shield of fire that would temporarily keep their enemies at bay, the Red Dragon circled around the Dragonzord as the transformation began.

"Look at that!" Trini said in astonishment, watching alongside the other Power Rangers and Time Force officers.

"It's awesome!" Zack added, marvelling at the sight of the two dragons interlocking amidst the ball of fire, the flames eventually subsiding to reveal, in all its glory, the two headed, two tailed Double Dragon Megazord.

"Alright," said Tommy from his new station aboard the Megazord, "let's see what this baby can do!"

From his seat in the tier above, Jason quickly familiarise himself with the control layout before him. It appeared as though both Rangers still had control over their own individual Zords, although with access to the combined power of both.

The trio of villains exchanged glances, as if daring one another to make the first move. Silently deciding that the numbers game was still their best option, they moved in together. With Ransik and Djolnel beginning to circle off, the two tails of the Megazord whipped round and swept them off their feet. Goldar, always of the instinct that a good defence was a good offence, ran straight at the machine.

"I don't think so, Goldar!" shouted the Red Ranger as he pushed a lever in front of him that extended the long neck of the Red Dragon out over the top of the Dragonzord, its head crashing hard against the monster's face before a dual tail strike knocked him off his feet.

Monitoring the power levels from their station, both Jason and Tommy became aware that power output levels were almost dangerously high. Maintaining this Megazord formation required much more power than originally believed. They weren't going to be able to keep the Zords together for much longer.

"Let's wrap this up!" shouted Jason.

The tail of the Red Dragon navigated across the skyline, wrapping around both Djolnel and Ransik, binding them together in a crushing embrace.

"Reel them in," said Tommy, the Dragonzord's tail shifting position to become a huge shoulder mounted drill.

Self preservation suddenly taking priority over revenge, Goldar opted not to intervene, deciding that he would rather face the wrath of Lord Zedd than the pointed tip of the Megazord's weapon. Cursing the Rangers for embarrassing him once again, he retreated – content that, at least, Ransik was about to meet his demise.

Ransik screamed in frustration at his failed attempts to free himself, closing his eyes as the tail that bound him and his comrade dragged them closer and closer to the spinning tip of the drill.

Underneath his helmet, Tommy felt the sweat run down his forehead. How far were they going to take this? These weren't the enemies they were used to dealing with. Although they didn't truly know what Djolnel was, they knew that Ransik was, ultimately, a human – one who they had seen could reform. Were they really going to kill them both?

The Red Ranger suddenly put the brakes on the attack, stopping the robot's tail from winding them any closer.

"Jase?" Tommy questioned, more than a little relieved.

"This isn't our mission," came his reply. "Time Force travelled over a thousand years into the past so that they could bring these two to justice. We can't deny them that."

Just then, the two halves of Djolnel's mutilated hand once again sprung to life. "What?" Jason blurted out upon seeing the two mangled pieces of flesh scurry across the ground before climbing up the legs of Djolnel and Ransik, respectively.

Watching from the Megazord cockpit, Tommy jumped out of his seat as the two enemies they had so firmly in their grasp disappeared before his eyes. "Hey!" he cried, "Where'd they go!?"

* * *

Fear and uncertainty consumed him – for the first-time since he began this venture, he had no clear vision as to what his future held. Scrambling back into the workshop, Djolnel began pulling apart the time-warp device. Where did it all go wrong? Everything had been happening just as HE said that it would!

The bulk of the time-warp device was inconsequential – it could be rebuilt – but the 'heart' of the device had to be secured. Grabbing it with both hands, he froze suddenly, only now realising that he once again had BOTH hands. How? Had his severed appendage reattached itself after it reduced him back to his normal size? How did it even do that, exactly!? There was no evidence of damage or scarring. Was it even the same hand?

Distracted, Djolnel was oblivious to Ransik approaching stealthily from behind. The game was over, surrender offering the only sure path back to his daughter. First, however, he would revel in the feeling of Djolnel's neck breaking in his hands.

"Stop!"

Reacting instinctively to the sound of Jen yelling, Ransik ducked, correctly anticipating the shot fired from her chrono blaster. Djolnel, snapping out of his trance, spun around haplessly just as the blast passed over Ransik's head, instead hitting the machine that he still held in his hands.

Blasts of energy poured in all directions, the resulting wave throwing Ransik across the room. Djolnel attempted to let go, doing so successfully with his left hand, but found that he wasn't able to open his right hand – instead, he felt his fingers curl tighter around the core, in direct contrast to what his brain was telling it to do.

"What's happening?" Billy asked, arriving on the scene alongside the rest of the Power Rangers.

Jen looked at him wide-eyed. She had no answers.

A bolt of electricity surged from the device, making its way up Djolnel's arm and continuing to wrap itself around the rest of his body. He screamed in anguish at what felt like his entire body being ripped apart as, before the eyes of those in attendance, his body appeared to implode – folding in on itself like paper being crushed – crumpling inwards with the device at the epicentre until it disappeared in a flash of light, leaving no trace of Djolnel.

A nauseating feeling swept across the room, the human brain unable to properly process the 4-dimensional event that had just taken place. Ransik remained on the ground, wiping the vomit off his chin. When he heard the footsteps finally approaching, he offered no resistance as he placed his hands behind his head.

It was over. Ransik lay face down on the floor, his powers nullified by the energy bracelets that bound his hands behind him. Despite the hardships they faced to get here, their mission was a success. Sort of. There was, of course, one lingering loose end and the more that Jen thought about it, the more unnerved she became.

 _This doesn't feel like a victory._

* * *

 **Californian Desert**

Secluded Area

 _This doesn't feel like a victory._

Jason stood with his hands in his pockets, watching Time Force make the final preparations for their departure. Alex had already contacted his commanding officer in the 30th century, reporting the success of their mission and their imminent return. Yet, at the back of his mind, Jason felt that same unsettling feeling that he felt upon Time Force's departure six months prior. The feeling of uncertainty about the future...and this time, the past, as well.

The outcome of last year's battle still hung heavy over him. Despite the fact that he and his team were essentially 'drafted' into a Time Force operation, he blamed himself for failing to stop Djolnel...and for what happened to Ransik.

That was why, earlier in the Command Centre, when they were discussing the possible consequences of stopping Djolnel today, he used his influence within the team to sway the vote in favour of the idea (a fact that had him riddled with guilt), not entirely for the altruistic reasons he presented but for his own selfish reasons, as well.

By defeating Djolnel today, he had hoped to not only rectify his failure from last time but to completely erase it from history...and he had failed again.

Chatter amongst the Time Force team regarding Djolnel's fate was that he was lost in the timestream – in which case, dead – but if that was true, then the events of their last encounter would never have taken place, and Jason could still remember that day vividly! The first time they met Djolnel, he possessed the seemingly innate ability to travel through time without the need of a Time Ship or time-warp device. Somehow, the decisions they made today led to the creation of something even worse.

"Hey," Zack said, disturbing Jason's brood, "you ok?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly, still staring ahead.

Unconvinced by the Red Ranger's response, Zack backed off, regardless. He knew better than to probe Jason when he didn't want to talk.

Ransik remained on his knees, his head low, unflinching and unresponsive. Despite this, Jen hadn't taken her eyes off of him for even a second since his capture a little over an hour earlier. She had learned to trust that feeling in her gut, like the feeling she had right now. Something about today felt...off – not just in her interactions with this era's Power Rangers but with the mission as a whole. She couldn't explain it, but it felt as though they had all been walked through an already determined scenario – and not in a 'fate' or 'destiny' sort of way...but like they were puppets. As though some kind of higher power had been pulling their strings to get to this exact outcome.

Then again, it had been a long day. Maybe she was just tired. Or maybe The Dire's words to her, about this being only 'the beginning', held more weight than it originally seemed...

A shower of sparks falling from the sky would serve to lighten the mood, somewhat, as the form of Katie, accompanied by Billy and Alex, materialised. Whatever other emotions everyone was feeling right now, the sight of the officer back on her feet brought a smile to their faces.

"Hey, hey, my lay-day!" Zack exclaimed, clapping his hands and with a huge smile across his face.

"Had us all pretty worried, back there," commented Jason.

"Katie!" Trip said, ecstatically, as he approached.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine," she replied. Katie was used to drawing a crowd of spectators – displays of superhuman strength tended to do that – but not when she felt so vulnerable. Her tough front put the brakes on Trip but Kimberly wasn't so easily dissuaded, rushing straight at her and wrapping her arms around her.

"I'm so SO glad you're okay!" the Pink Ranger said directly into her ear. Confused and bewildered, Katie found something incredibly comforting in the words. There was a genuine warmth in how she said it, almost like...this girl somehow knew her.

"So...did I miss anything," she asked, to a snicker from the Rangers and Time Force officers.

"No," Trini joked, "but we missed YOU."

"Alright, people," Alex shouted, "it's time to get this show on the road."

Saluting his commanding officer, Steelix made the final checks to the coupling that linked their Time Ship to the one that Ransik and his ally had arrived in. With the vessel rendered inoperable, they were, literally, going to have to tow it back to the 30th century.

Alex paused for a moment as he looked back towards the legendary Ranger team, trying to think of some appropriate parting words. Goodbyes weren't exactly his speciality. Sensing the awkwardness of the moment, Jason simply saluted the Red Time Force Ranger. Relieved, he responded with a smile and a salute of his own before climbing aboard the Time Ship.

"Tommy!" Trip shouted, running over to the silent Green Ranger.

"Hey, man!" Tommy responded, coming out of his sulk.

"I have to...I have to go now," the Xybrian explained.

"Yeah," he replied, grinning. "It was great seeing you ag..." He caught himself as he remembered that, even though he'd met Trip before, this was Trip's first time meeting him. "It was just great seeing you."

"I just want you to know," he began, "that I'm going to be better. I'm going to be stronger and, one day, I'm going to be the Green Ranger."

A tear came to Tommy's eye as he realised why Trip had been so excitable around him the previous year. He had saved the Xybrian from Djolnel today and, eight years later, Trip hadn't forgotten. "I'd be honoured knowing that you were carrying on the legacy of the Green Ranger a thousand years from now," he said, somewhat bittersweetly, knowing that if he ever did meet the young man from the future again then he would almost certainly be green no more.

A huge smile on his face, Trip rushed over to board the Time Ship – more determined than ever to achieve his goals – when, suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation in his head.

"What's happening!?" Tommy cried out, his concern shared equally amongst the rest of his team, as they watched Trip's legs wobble under him and he stumbled against the hull of the ship.

"It's alright!" shouted Alex, emerging from inside the ship. "Give him some space – he's receiving a vision!"

"What?" Steelix questioned.

"This is perfectly natural for a Xybrian," Alex continued, everybody watching in anticipation. Eyes rolling back in his head, Trip convulsed as the gem on his forehead glowed bright green.

From out of nowhere, Ransik sprung to life – lunging directly at Trip with a crushing headbutt that left him hanging limp in Alex's arms.

Steelix and Jen pounced on Ransik immediately, pulling him away before Jen nailed him in the jaw with a hard punch.

"Trip! Are you okay?" Alex asked, sitting the young officer down on the ground. "Trip, can you hear me?"

Alex's words echoing in his ears, Trip groaned whilst pressing his palm against his forehead. "What...what happened?" he asked, one eye still closed.

"Trip, listen to me," Alex said slowly and clearly. "What did you see? I need you to think, okay? What did your vision show you?" He was aware of the looks he was receiving from the others – he was pushing Trip pretty hard considering he had JUST been knocked unconscious – but Ransik's attack may have been a deliberate attempt to disrupt the vision for fear of what it may reveal. If the mutant had something in the works that threatened the safety of his team, then it was his responsibility to find out.

"My...vision?" Trip replied, groggily. "I...I don't..."

Alex nodded, patting the rookie on the back and leaving him in the care of Jen. Grabbing Ransik by the hair, he dragged his prisoner towards the entrance of the ship.

As he was pulled away, Ransik's gaze met that of Steelix, a silent understanding exchanged between the two. The Xybrian was a problem. His visions, unpredictable as they may be, risked exposing their collaboration and it was far too soon for Steelix to be exposed as the Time Force traitor. He would need to be eliminated. Right now, however, Steelix's cover had to be maintained. Helping Trip back to his feet, he assisted him into the ship.

"Thank you," said Jen, last to board the vessel, addressing all of the Mighty Morphin team. "Alex won't say as much but he is grateful for everything you did today."

"We know," Jason acknowledged. "He's a tough cookie to crack," he added, the similarities between Alex and Jen not lost on him.

"It was an honour to fight alongside you," she said, despite being puzzled by the subject of 'cookies' being brought into the conversation.

"Don't mention it," Zack said, modestly.

"You know WHEN we are if you ever need us again," Trini added, jokingly.

"Maybe we'll meet again one day, Jennifer," Billy said knowingly.

"I have a feeling we already have," she replied quietly, not ignorant to the many clues that had led her to the realisation. "And, please, call me Jen."

The Blue Ranger let out a deep breath as he considered the best course of action. In his pocket was a wrist communicator modified in the same way as the one that he presented to Jen six months prior. Of course, that was eight years into her future. If, as he feared, Djolnel was still alive and would indeed travel back to 1993, by presenting Jen his theory on 'teleporting' through the timestream a whole eight years earlier, it could make a considerable difference to how things turned out.

Ultimately, he decided that it was best to let things play out as they should. If their attempt today was any indication, time was best left to run its own course.

The door closed behind Jen as she boarded the Time Ship, the others already strapped into their seats. Ransik lay unresponsive on the floor, plunged into his skull a D-5 spike – a controversial device that, first, caused a massive (and extremely painful) sensory overload, quickly leading to complete senses deprivation, leaving the subject a prisoner inside their own body. Inhumane as it may be, Jen could find little room in her heart for sympathy.

Taking her place next to Alex as Steelix initiated the ship's quantum drivers, he placed his hand into hers, looking at her in that special way. "Hey," he said, "You and me..." His voice made Jen feel a way that nobody else could. She didn't know what the future held but she did know that she would get through it as long as they were together.

"Forever," she finished for him.

The Power Rangers of 1994 stood and watched as the Time Ship hovered above the ground, the vortex into the timestream opening before them. Billy sighed, lamenting that twice now he had watched a real life time machine depart back to the future without ever having got a proper look at it, as Time Force, once again, blasted off into the light.

A few moments of silence followed, the scene no less spectacular that the first time they had seen it. Finally, Zack broke the silence.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," he said, "but I could really go a smoothie right about now!" The others chuckled a little, appreciating his effort to lift the mood. "I've got this idea I wanna run by Ernie. Man, I'm tellin' you, it's the best idea for a smoothie EVER!

 _It's gonna change the future!_

* * *

Lunar Palace

-Chamber of Command-

 _As expected..._

Goldar had failed in his bid to destroy the Power Rangers. Again. His absence was hardly surprising – almost certainly, he had taken refuge in his Dark Dimension, waiting until tensions had blown over. Yet, Lord Zedd was not in as foul a mood as one might expect.

While it was true that the Power Rangers had won the day once more, their victory came at a great cost. The Green Ranger's time was at an end. His powers had been exerted tremendously and, using the crystal he held in his hand, he would siphon the last of his Morphin energy and proceed with the next stage of his plan.

On another note, these travellers from another time had turned out to be quite intriguing. Even with all of the power he possessed, the future was something that was beyond his reach.

If these Power Rangers from tomorrow had appeared before, as Goldar had said, then maybe their paths would cross once again, in which case he should very much like to have a word.

 _Very much, indeed..._

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 **Next Chapter – 1995: "The Ninja Nineties"**


	3. 1995

**powerrangerstimeforceteamuppowerrang**

 **Millennium City (3005 AD)**

The Epsilon Facility

-Weapons Storage-

 _You gotta be freakin' kidding me!_

"Jen? Are you there? Wes? Where are you guys?" Lucas called out once again over the coms on their Chrono Morphers.

Almost in disbelief at just how properly Djolnel could ruin his day BEFORE even leaving the timestream, Wes cursed the monster under his breath as he scrambled frantically to tug his uniform back up over his legs, an approach that ended with him tripping over his own feet and crashing to the floor. God, couldn't the son of a bitch have waited just five more minutes!?

"We're on our way!" Jen finally answered into her Morpher, pulling her overall over her shoulders. Combing her hair back with one hand, she swiped her other hand over the sensor to unlock the door and made haste along the hallway.

Lying flat out on the cold metal floor, Wes closed his eyes for a moment, his mind wandering back to those five incredible years they shared together when they were stranded in the 21st century – just them and nobody else – and he wondered just how crazy they had to have been to have EVER come back to this madness!

"Wes! Move!" Jen hollered down the hall.

Cursing Djolnel, Time Force, and even Jen under his breath, the Red Time Force Ranger begrudgingly pulled himself to his feet.

 _Back down the rabbit hole._

 **erstimeforceteamuppowerrangerstimeforc**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable characters, places, names etc. in this non profit fanfiction._

 _Rated T as chapters contain violence and occasional mild bad language._

* * *

 **Power Rangers: Time Force Team-Up**

 **Chapter 1995: "The Ninja Nineties"**

 **Part 1**

 **Angel Grove, California**

Angel Grove High School

 _Man, that did not go well!_

Tommy Oliver puffed as he opened his locker and grabbed his books from inside, glad that the school day was finally over. History was definitely NOT his strong point!

"Hey, Tommy!"

It wasn't difficult to guess the owner of the voice that said his name. He looked over his shoulder, smiling. "Hey, how's it going?"

"So far, so good," the pretty blonde girl replied with a grin, her Australian accent unique amongst the halls of Angel Grove High.

"You finding your way around, okay?" Tommy enquired. Having only just moved to Angel Grove, Katherine Hillard was the proverbial 'new kid' at school and Tommy could remember how daunting an experience that was when he was in that same spot only two years before.

Wow.

Had it really only been two years? Somehow, with everything that had happened to him and his life since coming to Angel Grove, it felt like a lot longer.

"I'm getting the hang of it," Katherine answered. "How are you doing today? How did your history test go?"

Tommy gulped in response to the question. "Think I need to brush up on my history, a little," he said sheepishly. "Too busy looking to the future, y'know?"

The Australian girl giggled, "Well, if you ever need any extra help studying, I happen to be rather good with history."

"How did you know I had a test today?" he asked, curiously.

The new girl looked at her feet for a moment before answering. "I overheard some of the kids in one of my classes talking about it. I just saw them come out of class with you. Why? Do you think I'm spying on you?" she said with a smirk.

"Hey, never trust the new kid at school!" Tommy said, jokingly. Turning around in response to a light tapping on his shoulder, he was met with a quick kiss on the lips from Kimberly Hart, standing on her tip toes.

"Hey, Kat!" said Kimberly, cheerfully, while her companion, Billy Cranston, just gave the Australian girl a friendly wave.

"How'd the test go?" Kimberly asked her boyfriend, a little wrinkle on her nose.

Tommy winced. "I think I've got some reading to do," he admitted.

"I have no commitments after school for the remainder of the week if you require any assistance with studying?" Billy offered.

From the corner of his eye, Tommy noticed what could have been a look of disappointment on Kat's face. "Yeah, man," he replied, "Actually, Katherine had just..."

DEET DEET DEET DEET-DEET-DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

He stopped in mid sentence at the sound of his wrist communicator. At least, he thought it was the wrist communicator? That sound wasn't quite right. Looking at the device, he noticed that it wasn't HIS communicator that had sounded.

Billy stared at the blinking red lights on his own communicator for a moment with his eyebrows crossed, before apparently dismissing it.

"Anyway!" Kimberly diverted attention away from the sound. "Kat, I've been looking to catch up with you! Aisha and I are going shopping in an hour and it occurred to me that you have not yet had the Kimberly Hart grand tour of Angel Grove Mall! You HAVE to come with us!"

Katherine opened her mouth to speak when the same beeping sound from before interrupted her.

"What IS that sound!?" she asked.

Tommy and Kimberly had a similar question on their minds, looking towards their friend who was once again staring at his wrist.

"Billy?" Tommy asked, unsure of whether the communicator was malfunctioning in some way or if something else was going on.

His friend looked up with his mouth hanging open, a feint look of surprise on his face.

"Um...it's just the alarm I set..." he began, "for...something that I could really use your help with?" He raised his eyebrows as a way to try and communicate to his teammates the importance of what he was about to say. "It's a bit of a 'DIRE' situation."

The hairs on Tommy's arms stood on end at the very mention of that word. Had he understood correctly? The look on Kimberly's face told him that she had got the same message.

"Yeah, man, you know what?" Tommy said, playing along with Billy's story. "We should go deal with that right now. Kim?"

"Absolutely!" his girlfriend responded, manufacturing a smile as she ushered both of the boys down the corridor. "Sorry, Kat! We'll go to the mall another time!"

"What's wrong, though?" Kat shouted after them. "Maybe I can help?"

"No! We couldn't asks you to do that," Tommy called back. "We'll catch up soon, yeah?"

Watching the trio disappear around the corner, the Australian girl snorted, her facade no longer required. These Power Rangers were a lot of things but convincing liars wasn't one of them! Even she picked up the relevance of the word 'dire.' Something was definitely going on.

 _The Empress will want to know._

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _Doesn't seem to be anybody around._

"We're clear," Tommy said, looking out from the cover of the trees that had concealed their arrival. Billy led the way across the grass, following the direction of the device he held in his hands, with Tommy and Kimberly close behind carrying the molecular decoders that the Rangers had, in the past, used to travel to another dimensional plane. Neither of the two fully understood what was happening but Billy's hurried demeanour told them that this wasn't the time for questions.

"We have to move fast, there isn't much time. Right here," Billy said, pointing to a spot on the ground with his foot.

Obeying his instructions, Kimberly placed the construct down onto the grass, its tripod base providing it enough stability to stay upright on its own. In kind, Tommy placed its twin on the ground a few metres across.

"Okay, get clear," the Blue Ranger ordered, "we're already inside the window."

Retreating to a safe distance, he pressed a button on his device that primed both decoders, a light buzzing sound emitting from each of them. Everything now in place, he took a moment to properly fill his teammates in on the situation.

"After our second encounter with Djolnel last year, I ran a series of simulations based around the energy reading produced when he exits the timestream," the genius explained. "Due to the nature of the temporal anomaly, I was able to devise a means of predicting its appearance before it actually occurs and align my communicator with the Command Centre's temporal scanners to alert me of the impending vortex."

Tommy opened his mouth, dumbfounded. "Billy, that's incredible!"

Shaking his head modestly, the Blue Ranger continued, "I was only able to calculate the occurrence with a warning of between nine and thirteen minutes – hence the haste at which we needed to proceed." As soon as they had left school, Billy had contacted Alpha 5 at the Command Centre and collaborated to have the necessary equipment teleported along with them to the location that the anomaly was going to occur. The quantum compass that he held in his hand was specifically developed to track the exact coordinates that the vortex would open.

"The molecular decoders that we previously used to travel between dimensions have been modified to generate a demolecularising field that should act almost like a 'net', catching Djolnel and interfering with his ability to reconstitute his molecular structure upon exit of the timestream."

Kimberly puffed, most of her friend's explanation going straight over her head, but if Billy said that this would work then she trusted that it would.

"How much longer do we have?" Tommy asked impatiently.

Staring at the quantum compass, Billy frowned as the countdown surpassed his estimated window by several seconds. "I don't understand," he started. "Perhaps I miscalcu..."

A sudden searing light rendered the three Rangers unable to see as a vortex through time opened in the air in front of them, the accompanying thunder-like noise crashing in their ears.

Emerging from the light, Djolnel's mind jerked as he suddenly found himself struggling to form a coherent thought. His very molecules felt like they were being vibrated at an ultra high frequency, rendering him unable to move as if he were trapped inside a single moment. What...was...happening!?

Their enemy suspended before them, Billy handed the quantum compass to Kimberly and rushed over to Djolnel, lifting one of the decoders and placing it back down at the far side behind the prisoner. Taking the second decoder, he walked it past the front of Djolnel before placing it down next to the other – effectively 'wrapping' their time travelling enemy in the energy net – before interlocking the twin constructs together.

"Whoo!" Kimberly squealed in celebration.

"Way to go, Billy!" Tommy let out, giving his friend a high five to celebrate.

"The prisoner is now ready for transport," he replied, pleased with the success of his plan. "Now all we need to do is monitor him until we can turn him over to Time Force."

The words had barely escaped his mouth when they were once again forced to shield their eyes, the blinding light of another vortex opening only metres away from where the last one had occurred. This time, however, the thunderous boom preceded not the arrival of one time traveller but the arrival of six.

"Billy?" Jen said, slightly surprised to find their old friends already on the scene.

"Hey?" he replied, equally surprised – in both of their previous meetings, Time Force hadn't been so soon to arrive after their target, nor had they arrived in such a fashion. No Time Ship in sight, Billy came to only one conclusion, "You functionalised the communicator I gave you for travel through the timestream!"

"Hey, guys!" Trip called out, he and the familiar faces around him acknowledging the presence of their old friends. Looking considerably less impressed was a sixth unknown member of the group, who's inclusion, as well as Lucas's return to the line up, made this the third incarnation of Time Force that the modern day Rangers had encountered in as many visits. Of course, since their last meeting, there had been some notable changes within the ranks of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, as well.

Something that certainly wasn't different, however, was the look of intensity on Jen's face, her gaze aimed right past them to the prize that lay beyond.

"Djolnel," she said quietly, the sight of their elusive enemy restrained and waiting to be taken into custody almost too good to be true! This was it. This was the warning Tommy had given her the last time she saw him – a conversation from her past that was still awaiting him in his future. She had to act fast. "Let's go, NOW!" she ordered her team. "Grab Djolnel and let's get out of here!"

As the Time Force officers moved in on Djolnel, Katie took a second to give Kimberly's hand an affectionate squeeze on the way past.

"There's no time to explain," Jen said apologetically to the three Rangers from Angel Grove, unconcerned by the black feather that floated lightly down past her face. "We need to take Djolnel and get back to the 31st century before..."

"Look out!" Tommy shouted, grabbing the Time Force leader and pulling her towards him, a pair of huge talons from above missing her head by mere inches.

"What the hell?" Katie wondered, turning her eyes to the sky where a flock of huge bird-like creatures had begun circling above them.

"Tengas!" shouted Kimberly.

"Those are Tengas!?" Trip exclaimed with an excited curiosity, the ferocious race long since extinct come the turn of the 30th century.

"Dammit," sighed Jen. Despite the warning to act fast, she still hadn't acted fast enough. The cycle was beginning all over, again.

From the centre of the circling Tengas, a monstrous skeletal being dropped to the ground, landing in a crouched position with a thud. "Looky looky what we have here..." he said, crunching his neck from side to side.

"What do you want, bone-head?" Kimberly spat, the very sight of Rito Revolto turning her stomach.

"Well, you know me," the monster replied. "When Ed and my big sister say 'jump', I say...uh...um...wait, what is it I say, again?"

"I know what I say," declared Tommy, stepping out in front of the Time Force team, Kimberly and Billy by his side. "Ninja Ranger Power, NOW!"

Electrical energy emanated from their hands, not only opening their connection to the Morphin Grid but providing them access to their own individual animal spirits, as well, their faces disappearing underneath the ninja hoods that formed over them.

"Whoa! They're ninjas now!?" Trip said.

"Ok, THAT is cool!" Lucas admitted.

"Focus, people!" Eric interjected, never one for small talk. "We've got incoming!"

Like circling fighter planes, the Tengas began dive bombing in formation towards the ground.

While the team from the future sprawled out on the ground to avoid the attack from above, the three ninja Rangers leapt directly into the oncoming frenzy, each grabbing hold of a swooping Tenga and tackling the creatures to the ground.

"Hey, Rito!" Tommy shouted. "Jump!"

"How high?" Wait, that's it!" the monster shouted, throwing his arms up as if having achieved some great feat. "That's what I say! When Ed and Rita say 'jump,' I say..."

A low sweep from the White Ninja sent him head over heels, smashing to the ground in a heap.

"I did tell you to jump," the White Ninja retorted.

Lunging at their prey, a pair of Tengas sunk their talons into Billy, dragging him down and tearing him apart with their beaks.

Taking advantage of their fixation on the decoy suit he had deployed – just one of the many ancient magics imbued upon the Rangers by the ancient master, Ninjor – the Blue Ninja dispatched of the two creatures before either of them knew what was happening.

"Let's clear the air!" Wes suggested, aiming his Chrono Blaster at the sky. Following in kind, Eric, Trip and Lucas pulled out their own weapons and opened fire on the flapping monstrosities above, none of the combatants noticing the two uniformed figures approaching down the path that ran by the lake.

"I said I was sorry!" Skull whined, dragging his feet like a huffy child.

"You need to wake up, Skull – focus!" Bulk instructed. "You heard what Lieutenant Stone said: if we don't step up our game, we're off the force!"

"It was just a cup of coffee!" Skull continued to argue.

"And you couldn't even get that right!" he continued.

"Um, Bulky?" Skull said, the colour draining right of his face as he looked dead ahead.

"What? Skull, you're not listening to me, we..." His words catching in his throat when he finally noticed what had his friend so spooked – a HUGE fight was taking place in the park, a whole bunch of those giant bird things going toe to toe with the Ninja Rangers! But...who was that with them? The battle spilling closer in their direction, the ditzy duo shuffled off to the side, taking refuge amongst the nearby shrubs.

"Come on bird-brain!' Kimberly taunted, evading the Tenga's wild swipes before flipping over its head and dropkicking it in the back of the neck. "Pfft, you should have stayed in your nest!"

Spying Tommy battling Rito alone, the Pink Ninja sprinted across the park. Sensing her approach, Rito waited for the right moment to strike, turning quickly and stabbing at her expected location. "Ah-ha!" he yelled, somewhat prematurely, his attacker disappearing into a shadow cast by one of the Tenga's above them. "Oh, I HATE this ninja stuff!" Rito complained, his head moving quickly from side to side as he tried to track her movements.

The dark silhouette of the Pink Ninja moved smoothly across the grass, shifting from shadow to shadow – the Tengas flying overhead providing her the means to cover ground quickly – until she reached Rito's own shadow. "I LOVE this ninja stuff!" she proclaimed as she reappeared in her physical form, delivering a hard spinning kick that connected right under Rito's skeletal jaw.

The Tenga's sharp beak snapping furiously right in front of her face, Jen clenched her teeth as she held the creature at bay with her hands and her feet. Pinned down on her back, there was no way for her to reach her sidearm without losing her face. Her arms starting to tremble as her muscles began to fatigue, the Time Force leader closed her eyes in anticipation of her fate when, suddenly, she felt the weight on top of her lifted completely.

Pulling the Tenga off of her teammate, Katie tossed it several metres across the ground before helping Jen back to her feet – their recent issues put behind them at this time. Getting ready for another round, the feathered fiend let loose a hideous screech, prompting Jen to reach for her blaster. Before she could draw the weapon, however, Katie stopped her. "Don't worry – I can handle Big Bird," she said confidently.

The Tenga lunging straight for them, Katie responded with a vicious straight arm clothesline that connected across its neck, its throat undoubtedly crushed by Katie's superhuman strength.

Stepping over the stiffened Tenga, Jen once again set her sights on their target. "Djolnel," she said through slanted eyes. Their enemy was helpless. All she had to do was get to him before...

As if on cue, flames appeared all around the prisoner, heralding the arrival of a familiar foe.

"No!" she screamed, that one fleeting moment of hope smashed. She really shouldn't have been surprised – if she had learned anything since this mission began, it was that trying to stop Djolnel was like fighting a battle against time itself.

Laughing through the mane of fire clinging to his helmet, Goldar admired his enemies' handiwork. Trapping Djolnel in such a manner had made his task many times easier. Plunging his sword into the ground, Goldar ignited like a wicker man, the flames spreading around him until all that could be seen was a burning inferno.

Jen dropped to her knees, knowing that once the flames had dissipated, Djolnel would be gone. "We'll never stop him," she said quietly to herself.

"Don't be disheartened, my dear," came a hissing voice from behind, "you're not staying, either!" Spinning around quickly, she found herself staring directly into a single glowing red eye.

From a tear in the air, Lord Zedd's metallic hands grabbed Jen, one hand around her collar and the other full of her hair – dragging her through the rip, her attempts to resist for naught.

"Jen!" cried Katie, too late to intervene, the tear in the air disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

"What happened!?" shouted Wes.

"Spill it, Rito!" Tommy demanded, circling his opponent.

Opting to charge at his interrogator rather than answer his question, Rito found himself flipping through the air and landing hard, headfirst on the ground. Using his hands to turn his head back around the right way, the skeletal soldier wondered why he ever left his hammock in the M-51 Galaxy.

With everyone's attention diverted, an opportunistic Tenga pounced, wrapping its winged arms around Eric – only a few feet away from the shrubbery that concealed the cowering junior police officers. "Let go, you feathered freak!" he growled, pulling and tugging as he tried to free himself from the monster's grip.

Nearest his location, Lucas prepared to leap to his friend's aid – seeing too late Rito's approach from the corner of his eye, the thunderous blow separating him from consciousness.

"Alright, let's go! Let's go! Get that one to Venice before Ed yells at me again!" Rito cried.

"You can't!" Wes shouted, running after him and preparing to activate his Chrono Morpher.

"Hahahaha!" Rito laughed, deciding that some clever parting words were in order. "I told you, Rangers: when Ed and my sis say jump," he quipped, grinning, "I say...um...I say...argh! I forgot again!" With that, the monster disappeared into a hole in the air, taking Eric and his Tengas with him.

"Dammit!" shouted Tommy with his hands on his head, almost in disbelief at what had just transpired. Moments ago, they had captured Djolnel without so much as throwing a punch and now, not only had they lost him, two of their allies were in the hands of their enemies.

"He's unconscious," Katie confirmed, checking on Lucas.

"What now?" asked Kimberly.

"We need to get to the Command Centre," Tommy answered. "All of us."

 _How could it all have went so wrong?_

* * *

 **Secret Location, California**

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _This is a disaster._

"Adam, Rocky and Aisha are on their way," Tommy said, pulling his wrist communicator away from his face. "What do we have?" he asked, anxiously.

"Ai-ai-ai! Nothing yet," Alpha answered, frantically configuring the Command Centre's scanners.

"Alpha, adjust the search parameters," Zordon instructed. "Rather than trying to detect our missing friends, focus your search on detecting evidence of activity surrounding dimensions we know Zedd and Rita to have frequented in the past. It may lead us to one of the missing officers."

"One of them?" Wes asked.

"It would be unwise for us to assume that they are being held at the same location," came the wizard's response.

"That...'skeleton' thing said something about taking Eric to somewhere called Venice?" Katie suggested.

"You can't listen to what Rito says," Tommy explained. "He has...kind of a limited vocabulary."

"It's great to see you again," Kimberly said quietly to Katie. "You're not, like, from 'before' the last time...or the first time..." she asked, tripping over her words as she tried to work out all the time travel math in her head.

"I've missed you, too," the Yellow Time Force Ranger replied. "How is he?" she asked, turning her attention to Lucas, sitting against the control console while Billy checked him for signs of injury.

"I'm fine," he replied, groggily.

"You were knocked unconscious. You have a concussion," Billy corrected him.

"Scanners are reading signs of transdimensional activity in the lower dimensional spectrum," Alpha revealed.

"The Dark Dimension," Tommy acknowledged, unsurprised.

"Attempting to generate visual," stated the robot, the viewing globe lighting up as he adjusted the settings on the control console.

"Djolnel," said Katie, their enemy appearing within the murky image - the viewing globe remaining the only instrument they had encountered capable of capturing the monster's appearance - still restrained in Billy's trap and surrounded by nothing but darkness.

"But no Jen or Eric," Wes sighed.

"We'll find them, Alex," Kimberly said, assuredly, to a look of annoyance from the Red Time Force Ranger.

"At least we don't have to worry about him releasing the Sands, right now," said Katie, trying to find something positive about their situation.

"The Sands?" Billy asked.

"It's what he calls the time-mapping device," Trip explained. "The Sands of Time."

"Eric's Morpher!" Lucas shouted, suddenly, the short term memory loss from the blow to his head beginning to wear off. "Just before that boney son-of-a-bitch knocked me out, I saw Eric drop the Quantum Morpher in the scuffle with that bird-thing."

"It's still at the park?" Trip asked, concerned. Wherever Eric was, he was without the means to summon the power of the Quantum Ranger.

"I should be able to track its signature from here," Billy said, confidently, tinkering with the settings on the Command Centre's secondary scanners. "Hmm that's odd," he stated. "I'm detecting a Morphin energy reading but it's not emanating from the park. It's on the move?"

"Someone else has it..." Kimberly surmised. If the park was already the site of an ETA cordon, then the Morpher could well be in the hands of the government. This could be bad.

"There," Billy said, locking onto the Morpher, the image of two overly familiar figures appearing within.

"Bulk and Skull!?" Kimberly choked, immediately recognising the pair scurrying down the streets of Angel Grove. How the hell did those two end up with the Time Force Morpher?

"Can you teleport it here?" Tommy suggested.

"It won't work," Trip said, "the Morpher is shielded to prevent it being taken from its host like that."

"The scanners still haven't been able to narrow down a location for either of our missing officers," Alpha said.

"Man, we've got our work cut out for us," Tommy sighed.

"And we don't have any other way to find them," Kimberly added.

"Actually, we do," Tommy said, his eyes widening as the idea presented itself to him, "Trip, you been practicing your meditation?" The Xybrian nodded, but with something of a doubtful expression on his face. Another option now available, the White Ranger began forming a plan when a flood of red, yellow and black light poured into the control room.

Rocky, Aisha and Adam found themselves in some unfamiliar company, much to their surprise – until now, the Command Centre had known a pretty exclusive membership. "Um...hi?" Adam said quietly.

"Adam!" Trip said excitedly to a blank look from the Black Ranger, who had no idea who this green-haires man was.

"Did we...miss something?" Rocky asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

"There's a lot to catch you guys up on," Tommy acknowledged. "Kimberly, bring them up to speed," he instructed. "Alpha, keep scanning cross-dimensionally; Billy, go after Bulk and Skull; Trip, follow me."

"Come on, Alex, you're with me. I'll get you something to wear," Billy said patting Wes on the shoulder. Following behind the Blue Mighty Morphin Ranger, Wes shook his head in a mix of confusion and frustration.

 _Why the hell is everyone calling me Alex, again!?_

* * *

Downtown Angel Grove

 _There's my kitty._

Her hand gripped tightly around the shaft of her wand-staff, Rita Repulsa watched the unassuming white cat strutting innocently into the back alley. Her lips curled into a smile in anticipation of what would follow, the witch always happy watching her own manifestations at work.

Beginning to shift and contort, the cat's feline features began to recede as it grew in size until it wasn't a cat any longer.

"My empress," Katherine said, bowing her head.

Running her long fingers through the crouching naked girl's blonde hair like she were some kind of pet, Rita chuckled. "You've been a good kitty, Katherine."

Since almost the instant she arrived in Angel Grove, Katherine Hillard had been under the witch's control. A mystical enchantment placed over her mind, not unlike the spell that once warped the thoughts and actions of Tommy Oliver, made Kat completely loyal to Rita – her every action dictated to spy on and infiltrate the Power Rangers. It was even Katherine who had alerted her Empress that something was afoot after her conversation with three of the Rangers at their school, allowing Lord Zedd to respond quickly and put his devious plan into action.

"Now," Rita continued, "to give these Rangers something to keep them occupied."

 _Something 'Katastrophic.'_

* * *

The Command Centre

-Zord BDR Hangar-

 _This is never going to work._

If the almost minty scent that combed his nostrils was supposed to help relax him, it wasn't working. They didn't have time for this. Trip's attempts to focus his visions through meditation had yielded only minor improvements in clarity and control, allowing him to focus more on what his gift showed him but still not granting him any ability over when the visions might occur.

"Tommy..." he said, "this won't work. There isn't enough time. You aren't going to be able to show me..."

"I'm not going to show you anything," Tommy replied, cutting him off mid-sentence as he lit the last of the candles. "He is."

On cue, from a puff of blue smoke in the corner of the hangar, emerged a hulking robotic-like being with a katana sheathed on his back and a golden 'N' branded on his chest.

"Hmm he sure doesn't look like much," the being noted out loud, "but as we know, it's what's on the inside that's important."

 _Let's see if we can make a ninja out of him._

 **End of Part 1**

* * *

 **Part 2**

 **The Dark Dimension**

 _Where...am I?_

Still bound by the demolecularising field that had woven through his molecules, Djolnel couldn't even turn his head to properly observe his new surroundings. With the exception of the white smoke rising from the floor, darkness was all that he could see.

Wait. That wasn't all. There was something else here with him. Someone else...

"Hello, Djolnel," Goldar growled, stepping into view.

 _Let's have a chat..._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Zord BDR Hangar-

 _I can feel it!_

Eyes closed and sitting cross legged on the floor, Trip felt a sensation resonating throughout his entire body that he couldn't describe or explain, his senses expanding in all directions at once...and yet, he was not overwhelmed by it.

"You possess the gift of sight and, yet, you cannot see," Ninjor said, pointing his hand at the young man. "Your mind presents you too narrow a scope – only through unlocking the way of the ninja can you truly take control of the power that, for so long, has had control over you."

Sparks popped from the ninja master's hand, prompting the gem embedded in Trip's forehead to glow a brilliant green. Convulsing slightly as his breath was taken away, Trip's eyes opened wide and, for the shortest of moments – a mere blink of the eye – he could see EVERYTHING. All at once. And then, just as quickly, it was all gone again. ALMOST all of it. "I know where they are," he said, coming out of his trance.

"Trip. Look," Tommy said.

Looking down at himself, Trip was shocked to find himself adorned with a green ninja outfit.

 _Whoa..._

* * *

 **The Otherworld**

 _This one has spunk._

Pacing back and forth in front of the Time Force officer, he waited for her laboured breaths to pass. He couldn't help but feel a little satisfied that she hadn't given in so easily – it had been a long time since he'd had the opportunity to personally deal in a little hands on torture.

The device he had pried from her wrist appeared to be the means by which she and her comrades could break the barriers of time so easily – a significant departure from the mighty vessel that had brought them here in their last visit.

"I'll ask you again, human," Lord Zedd growled though the metallic grill that covered his face, "Tell me what my future holds."

Her arms and feet swallowed by the rock face that pressed against her back, Jen was helpless to defend herself in any way. Spitting the blood out of her mouth, she tried to calculate the extent of her injuries. Two broken ribs. Three, maybe? But if this son-of-a-bitch thought that was enough to make her tell him ANYTHING?

"Your future?" she said, dismissively. "I have no idea what's in your future because, where I come from, nobody's ever even heard of Lord...what was your name, again?" The alien's metal covered fist crashed against her face. Aaaaaand a broken nose. Nice.

Zedd smirked with what passed for a mouth beneath his mask. It would be a simple matter for him to corrupt her mind – twist her thoughts and actions much like Rita had done with her new pet human...but there was something about this one. She was strong. He wanted to see – no, he wanted to FEEL her breaking...one way or another.

The 'Z' headed sceptre he held in his hand crackled with energy, opening a 'window' in the air that looked into a strange land full of bizarre carnivorous looking plant life...and one, lone individual.

"Eric?" Jen stared at the scene in front of her. It couldn't be real...unless he was taken after she was? The Quantum Ranger was all alone, fighting for his life in a hostile environment – the plants hunting him like prey, their entire bodies like giant mouths that could bite a human being in half! Why didn't he morph? She couldn't see whether or not his Morpher was around his wrist. Oh, god. There was no way he could hold out for long!

Snickering, the skinless alien began pacing once again, interested in the girl's reaction to seeing one of her friends dismembered by his creatures. There was no way for her to know whether or not only one of her friend's was in such danger. If her body wouldn't break, then perhaps her mind would. Then again, there was no reason why there couldn't be a little bit of both. His sceptre crackling again, he pressed it hard against the girl's torso – her screams echoing amidst the caves and rock formations for miles around them – and Lord Zedd laughed.

 _You won't just break...you will crumble!_

* * *

 **Angel Grove**

Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar

 _Who is that?_

Looking over his shoulder from the juice bar Billy tried to remain inconspicuous – a task that the two men subject of his interest were failing to accomplish with their dark sunglasses, hats and trench coats. That was Bulk and Skull for you, though. The woman who was with them was the bigger mystery.

"Ah, crap," Wes muttered, trying to stay hidden on the other side of Billy. "That's María Delgado."

"Who?" Billy asked, feeling like he'd heard that name before.

"She's a reporter. Or an investigator," he replied, having lost track of when he was in the timeline. "She's a pain in the ass."

Bulk kept his hand tucked inside his coat, his head twitching from left to right in a paranoid fashion.

"Boys?" María asked, impatiently.

Settling down just a little bit, Bulk leaned in closer to her. "Okay, you won't remember us but..."

"I do remember you," she said, sternly.

The pair exchanged a confused glance. "You...you do?" Skull asked through the scarf that covered the lower half of his face.

María nodded slowly. "Last year? Angel Grove Park? I never forget a face." She was starting to wonder if she had wasted her time, here. The voice on the phone had promised her that they had 'what she was looking for.' Admittedly, finding these two at the meeting point wasn't exactly filling her with hope.

Skull shrugged, pulling down his scarf while his friend removed his sunglasses. "Okay," Bulk said, taking his hand out from under his coat and placing something on the table in front of her.

The reporter looked at the black and red object for a moment and then looked back at Bulk. She was going to require a bit more information.

"There was a fight! Earlier today at the park. The Ninja Rangers were there along with a whole lot of dudes in silver jumpsuits!" he explained. "One of them dropped this!"

María raised her eyebrows at the pair, still none the wiser to why the pair had contacted her.

"The monster!" Skull said. "It was there! Black. Spikey. Scary eyes? The one that crashed your helicopter!"

Marìa settled in her chair. Now, they had her attention.

"We have to tread carefully," Billy said. "We're not sure exactly how much Bulk and Skull saw at the park." His concern was legitimate. Even if all the pair had seen was a fight involving the Ninja Rangers, he couldn't very well just ask them to hand over the Morpher, nonetheless take it from them without arousing some sort of suspicion. They may not be the sharpest tools in the shed but even they weren't THAT stupid. Throw in a reporter willing to die for a story and, well, like he said, they would need to be careful.

"Hey, Billy."

Looking up to the smiling face on the other side of the bar, the Blue Ranger smiled back, "Hey, Ernie."

"What's up with your buddy, here?" the Juice Bar owner asked, noting the look on Wes' face.

"Oh, nothing," Billy answered, "just kind of a rough day."

"He's not lying," Wes confirmed.

"Y'know what you need?" Ernie asked, suddenly. "A Chrono-Blaster!"

"What?" Wes responded, taken aback. "How could you..."

"We'll take two, Ernie," Billy interrupted, Ernie giving him a wink as he turned around.

"It's a smoothie," Billy revealed, answering Wes's unasked question. "Blame Zack."

Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and tapping his feet on the floor, it didn't take a genius to see just how anxious Wes was. "Hey, we'll get them back," Billy said assuredly, still monitoring Bull and Skull. "Jen's as tough as they come."

"No, she's not," the Time Force officer responded. "There's something...I dunno...she hasn't been herself, lately."

"How do you mean?" Billy enquired.

"It's like...it's like she's losing hope," he explained. "It's not ALL the time. Most of the time, she's still that same old hard-ass that she always was...but when it happens, I can see it. I can literally see the hope disappear from her eyes. I don't think she really believes that we can stop Djolnel. And now she's alone. Vulnerable. If she's even still..." He bit down, unable to even say the words.

"She's alive," Billy said, adamantly. "YOU can't lose hope, as well."

Nodding his head unconvincingly, Wes sucked on the straw in the cup that Ernie had just sat in front of him. "Heh, it's good."

Fascinated by the fact that the Time Force uniform had changed in appearance to blend in with modern day apparel, Billy decided to enquire into the subject a little to both satisfy his scientific curiosity and to try and keep the Time Force Ranger's mind occupied while they waited for an opportunity to retrieve the Quantum Morpher. "So, Alex, that's a pretty neat..."

"Wes," he interrupted.

"Excuse me?" Billy asked.

"It's Wes. I'm Wes, man! I thought we cleared all this up last time?"

"Um...we did?" Billy replied, confused.

"Yeah! The last time I met you...wasn't the last time you met me," he said in realisation. "Man, time travel!" he puffed.

Billy took a deep breath. There was a lot of weight behind that tiny little insight into what was to come, almost impossible to comprehend the fact that somebody else had experienced a part of his future before he had. But then, their relationship with Time Force had been complicated like that since the beginning. "I guess you guys have been through a lot since the last time I saw you?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Wes replied.

"Well, while we're here," Billy began, checking over his shoulder again at the table of interest, "maybe you could provide a little bit of insight into this whole 'Wes/Alex' thing?"

 _That one's been driving Kimberly crazy!_

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _Oh, that SO didn't go well!_

"Guys, come on!" Kimberly called after the three teens.

"Hey, you guys all caught up?" asked Tommy as he entered the control room, receiving no response from Adam, Rocky or Aisha. "What's goin' on?"

"Nothing," Adam muttered.

"Yeah, we'll just be hanging out down the corridor," Rocky added. "Give us a call if you think we might be useful for anything!"

"Unless, you know, it's something you don't think we deserve to know about," Aisha said, flippantly.

"Please, Aisha, don't be like that!" the Pink Ranger continued to plead.

The doors closing shut, Tommy looked to his girlfriend for an explanation. "What happened?"

"I think they feel shunned that we hadn't told them about all of this," she answered, screwing her face up.

The White Ranger sighed. It wasn't as if they had been deliberately withholding it from them – they had no idea if and when they would ever see Time Force or Djolnel again and, as Zordon once proclaimed, 'Knowledge of the future is a dangerous burden to carry.' It was in these moments – more so than in the heat of battle – that Tommy thought back to Jason's days of leadership and how, back then, he never realised just how hard it must have been for him to make the right call sometimes.

He would make amends with his friends later. Right now, there was more at stake than friendship.

"Trip? How..?" Lucas asked as his teammate entered the control room, wondering if the blow to his head was causing him to hallucinate.

"Look, I'm a ninja now!" the Xybrian answered, still wearing the green ninja attire.

Ninjor, however, wasn't quite as certain. While the ritual he had enacted was designed to open Trip's mind so that he could better harness his psychic gifts by unlocking his animal spirit to guide him down the path of the ninja, it had instead, somehow, unlocked something else within the Power Ranger. Unlike the rest of the Ninja Rangers, who's individual animal spirits were represented on their outfits by an engraving on a golden crest, Trip's outfit was instead branded by a design reminiscent of a large golden eye.

"Were you successful in your efforts to locate our missing allies," Zordon asked from his energy tube.

Tommy sighed, "Yeah, but it's not good news."

"I saw them," Trip explained. "Jen is being held prisoner...being tortured in a place called 'The Otherworld' and Eric is alone, fighting to survive..."

"On Venus Island," the White Ranger finished for him.

"How do we get to them?" Katie asked.

"Not easily," Alpha 5 replied from the control console.

"The trade winds, right?" Kimberly chimed in, remembering their last visit to Zedd's island and how they got there. "They blow to Venus Island at sunset."

"Sunset?" Eric is on his own," Lucas cried, "we can't just wait until sunset!"

"We may not have to," Tommy said, hopefully.

"I believe I can track the trade winds," Ninjor declared. "Once located, I can follow them directly to the island."

"What about Jen?" asked Katie, glad that there was progress FINALLY being made.

"Lord Zedd has constructed a mystical barrier preventing anybody with a connection to the Morphin Grid from entering The Otherworld," Alpha determined. "None of us will be able to go after her."

"Then we need to send someone else," Trip said.

"To take on Lord Zedd!?" Kimberly blurted. "We can't just send someone powerless in to face him."

"We have to do SOMETHING," Trip argued back, the concern evident in his voice.

"There is somebody," Katie stated, somewhat hesitantly, knowing the reaction she was going to receive.

It took a few seconds for Lucas to realise exactly to whom she was referring and, when he did, he couldn't control his response. "No way!" he shouted. "There's no way you're bringing in that piece of..."

"What other choice do we have?" she fought back. "He can get in and back out safely AND bring Jen with him. We don't have time to debate th..."

"And you think we can trust him with something like this!? Do you really think that Jen would want us to go to HIM!?" Lucas argued.

"It's not up to Jen," the dark haired girl said, quietly. "It's not up to you, either. It's MY call." True, in the absence of the Pink Time Force Ranger, Katie was in command, however, the fact that she had chosen to pull rank while debating the merits of such a controversial decision really riled Lucas.

"Guys!" Trip cried, literally getting in between the two. "We're on the same side, here!"

"Yeah," Kimberly added. "Like, chill out?"

"We're doing this," Katie said, adamantly. "I'm contacting HQ now."

 _I hope I'm right about this._

* * *

 **The Dark Dimension**

 _Argghh..._

Djolnel felt another painful jolt as more of his body reconstituted. This means of containment had proven effective to begin with, but it was only a matter of time now before he would be free and could escape this world of darkness. The Sands had to be deployed.

"You are powerful," Goldar said, his red eyes glowing in the darkness. "Perhaps more powerful than Lord Zedd himself."

"What...do you...want?" Djolnel asked, the ability to speak now returning to him.

"To understand your purpose," Goldar growled.

 _And establish MY place in what is to come._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Building Perimeter-

 _I call her to back me up and I get this!?_

"How can you be taking her side? Is this like some 20th century 'girl power' thing or something? He's manipulating her – he's in her head! This is what he does!"

"She's doing what she thinks is right," Nadira said, her image displayed between the transmitters. She knew that look on her boyfriend's face. He hadn't called her in the 31st century because he wanted advice, he called her to vent and because he expected her to justify his opinion. "She's stepping up and making the hard decisions – like a leader is supposed to do. And you're not just her teammate, you're supposed to be her friend, too – you should be supporting her."

Lucas boked at the idea. "He can't be trusted. He's a criminal."

"Then what about me?" she asked quietly.

"That...that was different," he said, realising too late the poor choice of words his mood had led him to use.

"Was it? I was given the chance to be better – YOU gave me that chance," she told him. "I don't trust him any more than you do but Katie DOES so, if you can't give him that chance, then give Katie a chance. You owe her that much."

Lucas sighed, knowing that there was really no way for him to rally a comeback. "When did you get so wise?" he asked sarcastically, admitting defeat.

"I'm a politician now, remember?" she answered, jokingly, before blowing him a kiss and terminating the transmission.

Leaning on his knuckles against the desert rock, Lucas puffed in frustration.

"Hey."

Turning around quickly at the sound of the voice, he saw Kimberly approaching from the Command Centre entranceway, having caught the very end of the conversation. "Was that Nadira? How is she?" The last time Kimberly had saw her, almost eighteen months prior, she was in mourning following the brutal murder of her father at the hands of Djolnel and the Pink Ranger had no idea how much time had passed from the perspective of the time travellers.

"She's doing okay. Yeah, she's keeping busy," he answered, well aware that 'busy' was something of an understatement.

"So...what was all that about, earlier?" she asked. "When Katie said she was gonna send for..."

"He can't be trusted." Lucas clenched his fists as he answered her question.

"But why? What did he do?"

"Everything," the Blue Time Force Ranger said through clenched teeth. "Every single thing that's happened – all of it with Ransik and Djolnel...it's ALL because of him."

 _The original 'Time Force Traitor.'_

* * *

The Command Centre

-Zord BDR Hangar-

 _Do they not trust us?_

"I can't believe they could just sit on something this big," Adam said.

"Yeah, I mean a team of Power Rangers from the future!?" Rocky cried. "That's too huge not to tell us!"

"You'd think after all this time it might have come up at some point?" Aisha added. "Clearly, they made a decision not to tell us, right? I mean, Kimberly LIVES with me, for cryin' out loud! How could she not tell me about this?"

"Man...Power Rangers from the future," Rocky said, blown away by the idea.

"From WAY in the future," Adam added. "I've never even tried to imagine the world a thousand years from now."

Interrupted by the whizzing sound of the doors sliding open, the trio didn't need to look to know who had joined them.

"Hey, guys," Tommy said, approaching the group. "Listen, I get it. I'm sorry, okay?"

"So, at no point did it ever occur to you to say: 'Hey, did we ever tell you about the time we met time travelling Power Rangers from the 31st century?" Aisha retorted.

"Twice!" Rocky added, for good measure.

"You should have told us," Adam said, angrily.

"You're right, it was a bad call," Tommy admitted. "I AM sorry. Look, you've gotta realise what this time travel stuff does to your head. I didn't want to leave you with all the same questions that the rest of us had – especially since we didn't know if we would EVER even see Time Force again."

Reading the unconvinced looks on their faces, Tommy knew how he was going to have to tackle this. "Listen, you guys know that you aren't some second rate members of this team, right? Nobody on this team is any more or less important than anybody else. Everything we've been through? The battles we've been in and the challenges we've faced together? Hey, and now? We're stepping into something else together, yeah?"

"Yeah," Rocky said, quietly. "Look, we didn't mean to..." he paused, trying to make sure he used the right words.

"It was hard when we first came on board," Adam said. "We were the 'replacement Rangers' and it took us a long time to feel like we earned our spot on the team. When something like THIS comes up...it's hard not to feel like we're the 'new guys' again."

"I get it," Tommy said again, honestly. "Look, how about when all this is over, we sit down and we talk about some of that stuff? Our earlier battles against Rita and Zedd – fill in some of the blanks a bit?"

Exchanging glances with Rocky and Adam, Aisha replied, grinning, "Yeah, that sounds cool. Thanks."

One crisis averted, the White Ranger let out a sigh of relief – a feeling lasting mere seconds as the familiar wailing of the Command Centre alarms took precedence.

 _As if we didn't have enough to deal with!_

* * *

 **Lower Earth's Atmosphere**

 _There you are._

High above the Command Centre, standing impossibly on a cloud – perfectly focused, perfectly still, perfectly aware – Ninjor felt the last breeze of the trade winds. He couldn't lose it. Harnessing the ninja magics, the cloud beneath his feet propelled forward – the booming noise of the sound barrier breaking behind him as the ninja master surfed across the blue skies, following the trade winds to Lord Zedd's island.

 _Let's just hope I'm not too late._

* * *

 **The Otherworld**

 _Can't stay...awake..._

"Don't fall asleep on me now, little human – the fun is far from over!" Lord Zedd hissed.

Jen could feel the warm blood running down her face from the gash that had been opened on the side of her head. She didn't know how many times she had blacked out now, but he never allowed her to stay that way for long, and every time she opened her eyes, Eric was right there in front of her. Only he wasn't right in front of her, at all. He was alone. Just like she was and, just like her, he was beginning to tire. Neither of them would be able to hold out for much longer. The metallic sceptre once again pressing against her chest, she bit down on her collar in preparation for the pain that would ensue.

 _Wes...guys...please hurry..._

* * *

 **Venus Island**

 _So this is what it all comes down to, huh?_

He took a deep breath. No more running. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he'd go down fighting a bunch of hungry plants! But here it was – the last stand of Eric Myers. Now all that was left was to take one of the toothy bastards down with him!

Separating itself from the pack, a flytrap monster let loose a blood curdling screech – the jaws that formed its body snapping as it prepared to charge.

Eric stood his ground defiantly. "Okay, ugly, bring it on!"

 _Let's see if your bite is as good as your bark!_

 **End of Part 2**

* * *

 **Part 3**

 **Californian Desert**

Secluded Location

 _This is it._

The door of the Time Shuttle opening, Katie Walker felt a fluttering in the pit of her stomach, about to come face to face with the reality of her decision.

Unable to even look in his direction, Lucas snarled at the ground as the prisoner alighted from the vessel, his heavy footsteps crunching on the desert rock, Vasquez and Dixon following closely behind.

"Feels so good to get out and stretch my legs," Steelix said with just a hint of a sinister smile, his wrists and ankles bound by the Time Force issue energy bracelets. "Katie, my dear, it's so nice to see you without a layer of glass between us," he commented, taking a step towards her, prompting the officers who accompanied him to raise their weapons. The armed escorts were a mandatory condition put in place by the commander and, of course, he wasn't going to let anybody else oversee an operation of this delicacy.

"That's close enough," Alex ordered as he stepped off the shuttle behind Steelix.

"Commander," Katie said, she and Lucas both saluting their superior officer.

"As you were," he said, looking straight into Katie's eyes. "Okay, Walker, let's go over this extraction plan of yours one more time..."

 _...before we dance with the devil._

* * *

Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar

 _Over thirty generations!_

That was Billy's estimate of the generational gap between Wes and Alex. Thirty generations and, still, the resemblance was uncanny! Their own recent time travel experiences had resulted in astounding discoveries – Kimberly in fact meeting his own great, great, great grandfather during her time trapped in the 19th century – but to have actually interacted with two members of the same family lineage separated by THIRTY generations!?

He had many more questions, of course, but that wasn't why they were here. Bulk, Skull and the reporter were still at the table, the Morpher in their possession. They had to figure out a way to retrieve it before...

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

Not the first time that sound had interrupted his train of thought. A quick survey of his surroundings told him it was safe to answer the call. "This is Billy, I read you."

"Billy, you and Alex must return to the Command Centre as soon as possible," Alpha said over the transmission, clearly in a panicked state.

Wes, unimpressed at the robot's mix-up, pointed over to the television sitting at the end of the bar, featuring 'breaking news.' The sound was muted but it was clear that a disturbance was afoot in Angel Grove and that usually meant one thing.

"I see it. We're on our way," Billy said before closing the transmission.

"To hell with this," Wes grunted, hastily making his way across the room.

"We want in," Bulk dictated, leaning in so close to María that she could smell the onions on his breath from the cheeseburger he had eaten, earlier. "Whatever you find out about the Power Rangers, we just want to be a part of it."

"Yeah!" Skull added. The pair may have long since abandoned their own mission to uncover the Rangers' secret identities when they signed up for the junior police patrol but their curiosity on the subject had never wavered. If this reporter had the tools to deliver, then they wanted in on it.

"Hey! You're María Delgado, right?" Wes said, sprawling himself out in front of the reporter, much to the chagrin of Bulk and Skull. "Oh my god, I am absolutely you're biggest fan! Shouldn't you be covering that, though?" he said, their heads turning to the television to which pointed.

"Is that a monster attack?" Skull asked, hesitantly.

"Let's get out of here!" Bulk said. "We can talk about this...HEY!"

"What?" María asked.

"That guy!" he answered, motioning at the bare table. "He stole our...thing!"

Snapping her head around quickly, María glimpsed the thief disappearing through the doorway. Jumping out of her seat to pursue, she found herself caught up in the sudden backlog of people, all of them now having noticed what was going on downtown.

"Everybody, calm down!" Ernie shouted. "The basement here is ETA approved! Head left down the corridor..."

Pushing her way through the small crowd, María spied a lone individual breaking off in the opposite direction from which Ernie had instructed. It didn't appear to be the same person who had flung himself over the table a few moments before but, trusting her gut, she followed him out into the street.

Growling some Spanish profanity as she frantically looked around, she saw two figures sprinting down the road. With what was going on downtown, she wondered if it was in her best interests to give chase but something was definitely going on here and she couldn't just let it go.

Struggling to keep them in her sights as she ran after them, she almost thanked god when the two men slowed down, apparently taking cover behind some trees. Now she had them. Breathless from the chase, she approached the trees slowly, only to be stunned by a flash of light before what looked like a fountain of blue sparks shot off into the air like fireworks from where the two men had been hiding. "What on Earth?"

The two men were gone. María had no idea what she had just witnessed but one thing she did know:

 _I never forget a face._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _What!?_

"She can't be serious?" Wes shouted. How was it possible that this day was actually getting worse? Steelix!? What was Katie thinking!?

"What about Eric?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Ninjor is tracking the trade winds to his location," Zordon answered. "We are monitoring his progress." His voice as calm as ever, it was impossible to detect the wizard's concern. Not only was Venus Island a hostile habitat, it was completely under Lord Zedd's control – just as easily as he had summoned it forth, the evil emperor could send the entire rock to the ocean's depths. It was essential that Ninjor reached the island as soon as possible.

"I'm afraid we have other pressing matters at this moment," Zordon reminded them, directing their attention to the images in the viewing globe, the other five Mighty Morphin Rangers and the Green Time Force Ranger engaged in a battle with a cat-like monster that was only too familiar to Billy.

"I thought we destroyed that monster, already," he said with a puzzled look on his face, the Katastrophe monster having fallen to the Ninja Megazord only days prior.

"Well, I guess we'll just need to destroy it again," Wes stated. The fates of both Jen and Eric were currently completely out of his hands but this monster was something he could hit. "Here, Alpha, look after this," he said, handing the Quantum Morpher to the droid.

"Alpha will teleport you to Angel Grove alongside the other Power Rangers," Zordon told them. "Go now, and may the Power protect you."

"Let's do this!" Wes said, pressing his fingers against the DNA lock on his Chrono Morpher. "Time for Time Force!"

 _Jen...Eric...just hang in a little longer._

* * *

Downtown Angel Grove

 _Damn, this thing's stronger than last time!_

The White Ranger rolled across the grass as a result of the impact from the monster's attack. This cat thing was really beginning to annoy him!

"Tommy! Are you okay?" Kimberly yelled, she and the other four Rangers running to his side.

"Aww, isn't that cute," the monster taunted. "Back off, Pinky, before I make you into my new scratching post," it said, brandishing its claws in front of the Rangers.

"Not today!" came a voice from above, the Blue Mighty Morphin Power Ranger appearing from nowhere, Power Lance in hand. The monster screamed, the blood from the newly opened gash on its face running into its eyes, blinding it to what was coming next – the Red Time Force Ranger flipping through the air, Chrono Sabres glowing red as he delivered the Time Strike attack, the resulting energy build up inside the monster consuming it within an electrical explosion.

"Alright! Way to go, guys!" Rocky shouted embracing the two Rangers with high fives just as Tommy's communicator sounded.

"Go ahead," Tommy answered with his wrist to his face.

"Tommy, a rogue flock of Tengas have splintered off into the suburbs," Zordon explained. "Innocent people will be killed if they are not stopped."

"Understood, Zordon", he confirmed. "Alright, guys, let's..."

A hideous cackling sound interrupting him, the White Ranger spun around. That laugh! But it couldn't be?

"Don't you know, Rangers, that cats have nine lives?" the fully revitalised Katastrophe purred, stepping through the smoke caused by its own destruction moments before.

"What? I don't believe it!?" Adam said.

"This thing isn't dead, yet?" Aisha added.

"I'm just getting started!" the monster responded.

The situation just became more complicated. "We need to split up," Tommy declared. "We'll deal with the Tengas as quickly as we can" he said, motioning to Wes and Trip. "The rest of you guys hold off the hairball."

"Oh, yeah, no problem," Rocky replied, sarcastically, as the three Rangers teleported to another part of town.

"Haha! I don't even need nine lives to deal with the five of you!" the Katastrophe taunted.

"Sister, by my count, we've ready blown yo' ass up twice this week!" Aisha retorted back.

 _Still plenty of time today for seven more!_

* * *

Secluded Location

 _If we're doing this, we have to do it now._

Alex was not on board with this plan. In fact, when Katie had first contacted him and informed him of the situation, his first thought was to go in HIMSELF and save Jen. However, the 'powers that be' ruled that the Commander's life was too valuable to risk under the circumstances. Jennifer Scotts's life – and the Pink Chrono Morpher, of course – were also of value, enough to merit an attempt at extraction, but the idea of sending in someone 'expendable' was of much more interest to them.

And, as he expected, Steelix refused to cut any deals, instead agreeing to partake in the operation with no benefits or pardons guaranteed to him, exactly as suggested by his psyche profile.

"You know that if you deviate from your objective, that if you try to make a run for it, or if you attempt to resist re-apprehension upon your return, then you will be returned to cryogenic containment without hesitation or debate?" Alex explained.

"Are we doing this?" came the mutant's reply.

"This is what's going to get you into the Otherworld," Katie said, holding in her hand a small device, given to her by Alpha 5. "The coordinates are already set. All you need to do is hit the button and you'll be transported across dimensions. When you have Jen, hit the button again and it'll pull you straight back to this exact location – but do not hit the button until..."

"Until I have hands on Jen," Steelix finished for her. "I understand."

"Then let's do it," Alex ordered.

"Aren't we forgetting something?" the mutant enquired, raising his still bound hands.

Katie looked to Alex, almost hoping that he would be the one to make the final call – lift some of the weight off of her shoulders – but this was HER plan, the order to remove the binds given with one nod of her head.

The officers to his sides exchanged apprehensive glances. When the Commander had abruptly placed them on security detail, they had been given no indication that that detail would be a prisoner of the highest security - much less Steelix, himself - and now the prisoner was to be released from his restraints in a foreign time period AND given access to a transdimensional transporter! After a few moments of hesitation, Natasia slowly stepped forward, unlocking the energy bracelets while her parner kept his gun trained on the prisoner's head. Out of all of the 'special assignments' that the Commander had given them, this one was, by far, the one she would have most difficulty with.

His shackles dropping to the ground, Steelix slowly stepped towards Katie, the perspiration on her forehead glistening in the desert sun. "So nice to see you," he reiterated before he took the device from her hand, pressing the button and disappearing in a cluster of white sparks.

There was no going back now.

"Do you have anything you'd like to say, Officer Kendall?" Alex asked, sensing Lucas's agitation.

"I don't trust Steelix," the Blue Time Force Ranger replied, "but I DO trust Katie Walker. No matter how this turns out, she had my support."

The Yellow Time Force Ranger smiled, faintly. As much as Lucas's words meant to her, his support would be for naught in the event that her plan was met with failure.

 _Please, Steelix, bring her back._

* * *

 **The Otherworld**

 _No!_

Watching events unfold on Venus Island, Jen felt a wave of panic flush over her. Eric had reached the end of his rope. She couldn't let this happen! "Please..."

"Tell me that which I wish to know and, you have my word, your friend's life will be spared," Lord Zedd said.

She couldn't just watch this happen – she brought Eric into this and now he was about to be torn to pieces on an island that nobody even knew existed – but she couldn't very well just give Lord Zedd the power to alter his own destiny.

"Tell me," Zedd hissed, excitedly, sensing her approaching her breaking point. All she had to do was submit to him and...

"Hello, partner."

Jen's heart stood still at the sound of that voice.

"Who dares!" Zedd demanded, turning to face the intruder, surprised to recognise the metallic being who had entered his world. "You're one of THEM."

"I used to be," the mutant replied, "until Time Force turned on me and had me sentenced to life in cryo-prison."

"Turned on YOU!?" Jen spat. "You betrayed US!"

The girl's hostile response told Lord Zedd that this being was no friend. "Why are you here?" he hissed through the grill on his mask.

"They sent me here to rescue her," Steelix explained. "Cut me a deal to bring her back...but that's not why I came."

"NO!" Jen screamed, knowing full well what the mutant's betrayal meant.

"I came here to pledge my allegiance to you, my Lord," Steelix declared, bowing down on one knee. "I can give you that which you desire – I can show you how to breach the walls of time and become the master of your own destiny. All I ask in return is that you allow ME to be the one who kills HER."

As the skinless alien contemplated the proposal, Jen bowed her head down into her chest.

 _Katie, what have you done?_

* * *

 **Venus Island**

 _Go on...finish it!_

Lying on the ground, his leg soaked in his own blood, Eric found himself somewhat at peace in the fact that he had gone down fighting. The huge teeth of the flytrap monster closing in, he closed his eyes and waited for his inevitable end...

But it never came.

Slowly opening one eye, Eric was shocked to find that there was somebody standing between him and the monster.

"Hey, there," the being said, looking over his shoulder. "I'm looking for a guy called Eric? You just gotta be him."

The flytrap let loose another of its hideous screeches, the rest of the plant creatures forming a ring around the combatants.

"So you want some of this, do you?" Ninjor taunted, charging to meet the monster with his katana. "One swipe of this blade will end you, vile creature!"

CHA-CHNK!

Shocked that his weapon had failed to penetrate its armour, Ninjor left a hole in his defences, the creature capitalising with a powerful club-like blow that sent the Ninja master tumbling.

"Hn, it's like that, is it?" he mumbled, the horde of creatures standing around them roaring as the flytrap prepared a follow up attack. Ninjor stood still, both hands wrapped around the handle of his katana. The creature's armour was durable, but nothing was without weakness. All he had to do was focus. Summoning the Ninja magics within, the world around him appeared to slow down as his senses elevated to a degree of total awareness.

There.

The giant jaws that the monster had clamped shut. There was an opening, ever so small, that appeared every 6.221 seconds for 0.1999 of a second. Even a flytrap monster needed to breathe.

Timing would be everything. Lunging at its prey, the monster felt a sudden strange feeling – like cold steel slicing through its organs.

"You didn't stand HALF a chance, monster!" Ninjor quipped, raising his arms in triumph as both halves of the monster's body folded at his feet.

"Hey, Ninja-Man!" Eric shouted. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Ninjor looked around at the monsters standing all around them. "Oh, yeah..."

The air was filled with roars and screams as the ring of beast's collapsed inwards – all at once lunging at Ninjor.

Eric could only watch as his would-be saviour slashed furiously at the ferocious horde until he disappeared underneath the mass of carnivorous vegetation.

 _My hero..._

* * *

Downtown Angel Grove

 _Try coming back from that!_

Rocky lowered the Power Blaster as he stared at the smouldering body of the Katastrophe monster lying on the sidewalk. The assembled blaster was their most powerful weapon – there was no way it could have survived that attack...and then it began to move.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Adam gasped.

"Get ready to fire again," Billy instructed, he and the others positioning themselves behind the Red Ranger to help absorb the recoil from the weapon's blast, when the sight of something falling from the sky caught his eye.

Rita Repulsa's wand landed in the ground like a javelin, its red orb glowing as a wave of energy travelled down its shaft and into the ground.

"Thaaaaaat's not good," Kimberly pointed out.

The magical energy entering its body, the Katastrophe began to grow in size, its atoms and molecules expanding at an incredible rate, taking only seconds for it to reach titanic proportions. Looking out through the monster's eyes, Katherine surveyed the toy battlefield at her feet. Her primary objective may have been to distract the Rangers from interfering in Lord Zedd's plans, but that didn't mean that she couldn't still kill them all...starting with that little Pink Ranger!

"I think it's time to bring out the big guns!" Aisha proclaimed.

Difficult to disagree, the other four Rangers joined her in reaching a hand to the sky, calling on the power of the Ninjazords – the colossal avatars of their ninja animal spirits appearing from all sides.

Leaping high into the air, the Blue Ranger landed atop his Wolf Ninjazord before dropping down into the interior cockpit via the access hatch on the Zord's head. Following suit, the other Rangers made the gigantic leap. Aisha touched down lightly on the head of the Bear Ninjazord, Adam made himself comfortable aboard the Frog Ninjazord, the Ape Ninjazord charged forward with Rocky at the helm, Kimberly...was snatched in mid leap by the gigantic clawed hand of the Katastrophe.

"Kimberly!" Aisha yelled.

"Let me go, furball!" the Pink Ranger screamed.

Purring in delight as it began to squeeze its hand closed, the Katastrophe listened intently for the sound of her bones beginning to crunch, when a set of giant mechanical jaws clamped around its wrist. Wailing from the pain, the monster's grip loosened and the Pink Ranger fell from its grasp directly into the cockpit of her Crane Ninjazord.

"I don't know about you guys but this kitty is starting to piss me off!" Kimberly stated over the Zord's communications system.

"I'm hearing that," Aisha replied.

"Activating transformation sequence," Billy said, his Zord still clinging to the flailing arm of the monster.

Acting in kind, the other Rangers began the transformation, their Ninjazords shifting and reconfiguring as they began interlocking together. The Frog formed the legs; the Bear, the upper body; the Ape transformed into the right arm and the Crane docked into place at the top, forming the head and control centre of the combined machines.

Finally prying its own arm free, the monster threw the Wolf Ninjazord through the air – the Zord changing shape mid flight and docking with the rest of the Zords as the left arm to compete the transformation sequence. The Katastrophe now stood face to face with the mighty Ninja Megazord.

Joining the other Rangers in the main Megazord cockpit, Billy made himself comfortable at his new station. "Let's see this unfriendly feline deal with..." The words never escaped his mouth, the Katastrophe wasting no time pouncing onto the Ninja Megazord before pushing back off of it and delivering a backflip kick that landed right at the base of the Megazord's head.

"Agh, that was a big hit!" Rocky cried, the entire cockpit shaking.

"Damage report?" Billy called.

Aisha examined the information on the computer in front of her, a flashing red light on the Megazord blueprint indicating the damaged area. "One of the docking locks on the Crane is broken! We can't take another blow to the head or we'll lose the Megazord!"

"Now, now, Power Rangers," the monster teased, "don't go losing your head. On second thought, why not see if we can do just that!"

 _In the name of the Empress, Rita Repulsa!_

* * *

 **The Otherworld**

 _I can't let this happen!_

The blood running down her arms lent evidence to how hard she fought to break free, her hands and wrists cut by the jagged rock in which they were encased. Even at full strength her best attempts would have been futile, never mind after over an hour of torture.

"That device in your hand is what allows her to travel through the timestream," Steelix explained to Lord Zedd. "The DNA lock on the Morpher stops anyone else from accessing it but I know how to wipe her genetic print. I can reprogram the device and make it operable only to YOU, my Lord. The power to transcend all of time will be yours!"

What the metal man promised was everything that he desired. He wanted to believe that his words were true, but Lord Zedd was no fool. It would take more than words to convince him...it would take blood. "If you're as capable as you say, then I no longer have need of this girl," he said, pressing the sharp tip of his sceptre against Jen's throat.

"Allow ME to kill her, my Lord," Steelix suggested. "To prove to you my loyalty."

"No," Lord Zedd growled. "If you truly pledge allegiance, then you will do as I command! You will watch me rip open her throat, and you will watch her die in agony."

"As you wish it to be," Steelix replied. "Although...if you would forgive my interruption, my Lord... is THAT supposed to be happening?"

"What?" Turning to the mystical window behind him, Lord Zedd looked on in shock. "NO! This cannot be!" he screamed at the images within, dozens of his plant creatures plummeting to their deaths from atop the body of a gigantic Ninjor. Dropping Jen's Chrono Morpher, Zedd curled his fingers into a fist, commanding his island to sink into the ocean, but it was already too late. Ninjor scooped the human up in his hand and disappeared in a puff of blue smoke.

A burning red radiating from his body, Lord Zedd couldn't believe that blue fool had made it to his island without him noticing. He had been so distracted by the appearance of Steelix that...NO!

Looking first to the ground to find the device he had dropped seconds before was gone, he spun back towards the girl to find that the metal man was already by her side, her Morpher in his hand. "NO!" he screamed again, pointing his sceptre at the pair.

His arm wrapped around Jen's, Steelix pressed the button on the teleportation trigger that had brought him here and disappeared in a flurry of sparks.

 _I've got you, partner._

* * *

Secluded Area

 _What was taking so long!?_

Lucas paced back and forth, a sickening knot in his stomach. Steelix should have returned by now. Something must have gone wrong. Either the mutant had failed to complete his mission or he had never intended to see it through in the first place!

Blaming himself for not having been able to come up with a better plan of his own, he looked over to Katie – her anxiety clear in her body language. However he felt right now, he knew that she had to feel that much worse.

Alex was a closed book, as usual, but Lucas knew that not knowing what was happening had to be killing him inside – rocky past aside, he knew exactly how the Time Force Commander felt about Jen.

He couldn't just stand here any longer. Alex and Katie could wait at the post, he was going back to the Command Centre. Maybe Alpha 5 could...

The flash of light out the corner of his eye caused all of the thoughts and feelings he had been experiencing to disappear instantly, replaced only by the all consuming feeling of dread – the fear of knowing suddenly so much worse than the fear of not knowing. Slowly, he turned his head.

Alex was already on the scene, Steelix passing Jen into his arms. She was shaky and bloody but she was ALIVE.

As Alex carried Jen over to the Time Shuttle for medical assistance, her unlikely saviour remained silent, handing over the Morpher before holding his hands out to surrender himself back into Time Force custody.

Suddenly realising that she'd been holding her breath, Katie gasped as air refilled her lungs, tears in her eyes. He actually did it. He brought her back. Making eye contact with Steelix as his hands were once again secured by the energy bracelets, the Yellow Time Force Ranger mouthed to him the words:

 _Thank you._

* * *

 **The Dark Dimension**

 _Almost free._

His fractured mind whole once again, it wouldn't take Djolnel much longer to repair his fractured body and then he would shut this monster up.

"Our goals and our ambitions align, Djolnel," Goldar explained. "I am destined for more than to lead the charge of another conqueror's army. Together, we..."

"Are you?" Djolnel interrupted.

"What?" the armoured alien growled back in response.

"Is it your destiny to be more? To be a king? Or will you forever be a pawn?"

Snarling, Goldar approached Djolnel. How dare he talk to him with such disrespect, here, in his own domain! Here, he WAS a king! This was HIS world! Here, Djolnel was HIS prisoner and...

Before he knew what was happening, Goldar was on his back amidst the smoke that formed along the floor, staring into the cold dark eyes of Djolnel the Dire. How had he escaped!? Struggling to get back up, the golden warrior found that he could not compete with the strength of the being who pinned him down.

"You want to be a king!?" Djolnel spat, dropping his fist against Goldar's face. "You want to be a conqueror!? You are worthless – destined to serve those more powerful until the day your body becomes sand!"

Goldar roared as he made another attempt to shift his attacker off of him but, instead, Djolnel pushed his fingers into his mouth – pulling his jaws open wide.

"You are weak but your ambition is strong," Djolnel said, his voice almost a whisper. "For that, you shall become a part of something...greater! Make no mistake, monster – your body will still become sand...but it will be MY sand."

His jaws seemingly dislocating, not unlike a snake, the hourglass containing the Sands of Time emerged from his mouth. Holding the bottom half in his teeth, he pushed the top of the device into Goldar's mouth.

Twisting the hourglass, Djolnel released the radiant blue Sands into Goldar's body, prompting yet another roar only, this time, it was a roar of agony.

His nefarious laughter booming in the pocket dimension, Djolnel, the empty hourglass still in his mouth, became consumed by a mystical flame, burning away as he was teleported back to Earth by Goldar.

Overcome with an excruciating sensation that he couldn't explain – as though his very organs were freezing inside of him – Goldar rolled onto his hands and knees, barking as he tried desperately to disgorge the substance that had infected his system. His body erupted into an uncontrollable tremble, his major functions shutting down as he felt his blood freeze inside his veins. Foaming at the mouth as his body seized, Goldar succumbed to the darkness.

And then it was gone.

Opening his eyes as he lay face down in the smoke, Goldar took the time to recover. The pain was gone. The cold, dead feeling that, moments ago, had been spreading throughout his entire being, threatening to consume him, no longer ailed him. Pushing himself off the floor, the warrior knelt for a while, staring blankly into the infinite nothing beyond the walls surrounding him.

 _What have you done to me?_

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _Barely broke a sweat this time._

Chroniton energy crackling at his fingertips, Djolnel revelled in yet another victory. His energy levels would soon reach capacity and he would return to the timestream until the next mission.

Spitting the hourglass out of his mouth, he chuckled at the thought of what had just transpired. The golden clad beast would add an interesting wrinkle to the plan and he was intrigued to see exactly how that would work out. Deep in his own thoughts, it took him a moment to realise that he was not alone.

"You must be this 'big bad' that has everyone up in a stir," Ninjor said, sizing up the being in front of him. "You don't look so tough to me." After escaping Venus Island and taking Eric to the Command Centre, Ninjor detected the presence of evil in Angel Grove. With the other Power Rangers occupied, he had taken it upon himself to vanquish this demon!

Djolnel smirked at the show of bravado from the odd being who opposed him. "Okay, then," he said.

 _I've got a minute._

* * *

Angel Grove Suburbs

 _That's about the last of them!_

The Tenga's head smashing through the brick wall behind his boot, the White Ranger looked around at the fallen creatures that decorated the rooftop that he stood upon, satisfied that none were likely to get up any time soon.

"Saba," he said through the link he shared with his enchanted sabre, "how's it looking from up there?"

Sailing above the Tenga-active zone, Saba was Tommy's eye in the sky, monitoring the events below through the tiger-like head that adorned its hilt, making sure that none of the monstrous birds made it through the cordon that Tommy, Trip and Wes had tried to maintain...such as the lone birdie Saba spied trying to stay above the line of sight. "I have eyes on our final foe," the sword answered.

"Clip its wings," came the order, Saba obeying by projecting itself at the creature like a whirling ninja throwing star, a mass of black feathers floating lightly in the sky as the Tenga plummeted down to the rooftops below.

"Target neutralized," Saba confirmed, changing its trajectory to return to the hand of its keeper.

"A talking sword – SO cool!" Trip exclaimed, he and Wes regrouping with Tommy as he snatched the enchanted weapon out of the air.

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

"Man, what a day," Tommy said, raising his wrist to his face. "I'm here, go ahead."

"Tommy," Zordon's voice boomed through the communicator, "the others need your help. Summon the Falcon Zord and reconvene with them, immediately!"

"Zordon," Wes interjected, "do we know anything abo..."

"Both Jen and Eric are returned to us alive and safe," the wizard replied to his unfinished question, "however," he added, leaving little time for rejoice, "Ninjor has engaged Djolnel in battle. Alone."

"You don't need to say anything else, Zordon. Send us there!" Wes responded.

 _Let's finish this mission off the way it started!_

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _Well, that was mildly entertaining._

Suspending Ninjor's limp body in the air with his tentacles, Djolnel had to give his opponent props for the valiant effort, but he couldn't help but wonder what this 'robot ninja-man' looked like on the inside...

The arrival of his most persistent enemies signified by a shower of sparks coming from the sky, Djolnel grinned as he let Ninjor drop to the ground in a heap. "Where's your fearless leader?"

"That's enough," Wes declared, creating a defensive line alongside Katie, Lucas and Trip. He didn't know how Djolnel had escaped from the clutches of Goldar, nor did it matter. He was here and, indicated by the empty hourglass lying on the ground, he had already deployed the Sands of Time.

"No," Djolnel replied, "not yet...but we're ALMOST done."

 _This will all be over soon..._

* * *

Downtown Angel Grove

 _Alright, time to send this flea-bag packing!_

Bursting through the clouds above the titanic battle in Angel Grove, the cry of the majestic Falconzord split the sky, filling the Katastrophe with the sudden sense of impending doom.

"I'm coming on board," Tommy called to the other Rangers, his Zord docking into position on the Megazord's back. "Alright, whaddaya say we find out if this cat always lands on its feet?" the White Ranger suggested, taking his place in the centre of the cockpit.

"Let's do it!" Adam agreed.

The Katastrophe watched on as her mechanical foe took flight, knowing all too well what was coming next! With nowhere to run, the monster was helpless as the Ninja MegaFalconzord soared straight towards it, the full power of all six Ninjazords channelled through the Ape and Wolf that formed the behemoth's fists.

"You're outta here!" Rocky shouted as the monster disappeared in the ensuing explosion.

Emerging from the flames, unnoticed by the Rangers, a white cat escaped through the back alleys of Angel Grove. She may still have had more lives to give, but being blown to pieces over and over was a tiresome affair – besides, Katherine had no idea how many of those remaining lives she may need to survive the wrath of Empress Rita and Lord Zedd in the wake of her failure on this day.

 _Until next time, Power Rangers..._

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _What does he mean by 'almost done?'_

Chroniton energy crackling all around her enemy, Katie contemplated the meaning behind his words. Almost at full capacity, it was too late to stop him before he made the jump back into the timestream but, maybe, she could get some answers before that happened.

"You planning on giving up? Because this is only 'done' once you're on ice," she said provocatively.

"I'm afraid you miss the point," the monster replied. "This odyssey, in which we have all partaken in, draws to its natural close."

"We WILL stop you!" Lucas declared.

"No, you won't," Djolnel replied, the brilliant white light of a vortex opening behind him. "You can't. You don't have time." And with those parting words, he was gone.

The Time Force Rangers stood quietly for a few moments, the only sound coming by way of Ninjor's grunts as he awakened. "Nnnngggh...anybody get the licence plate for that Zord?" the ninja master asked.

 _Hey, why is everyone standing all sideways like that?_

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _Getting pretty good at saying goodbye._

Katie hugged Kimberly tightly as, once again, their two teams prepared to go their separate ways. The day's events had been trying and, although she was sure that the problems between herself and Jen were only going to increase after how things played out, she was glad that, at the very least, they were ALL going home.

"Take care," Kimberly said, teary eyed. After the Ninja MegaFalconzord had defeated the Katastrophe, the Rangers had remained in the sky, prepared in the event that the monster were to reform yet again, but the battle was over. Maybe it didn't have nine lives after all? Or maybe they would encounter the monster again. Hoping for the former, Kimberly had an incredibly unsettling feeling that the monster seemed to have been targeting her more so than the other Power Rangers, almost as if it was personal. Then again, it had been a long day. She was probably just thinking about it too much.

Pushing thoughts of the monster out of her mind, she broke the embrace with the Yellow Time Force Ranger and wiped the tears from her face. "Until next time?"

"Yeah," Katie replied, forcing a smile to hold back tears of her own, knowing that, from what she'd seen of the future, this was probably the last time the two would cross paths.

Looking past Kimberly, Katie noticed Aisha waiting in line. "Come on, you gotta be giving me some of that! We're BOTH representin' the yellow here!" she said, wrapping her arms around the Time Force officer.

Turning around in response to a tap on her shoulder, Katie found Alpha 5, not to be forgotten, arms open wide. "Goodbye, Alpha," she laughed, hugging the little droid. Looking up over his shoulder to Zordon's energy tube, the wizard bowed his head.

"Guess it's time," she said, taking one last look around the control room. Lucas, Trip and Wes were saying their last goodbyes to Tommy, Adam and Rocky, while Eric was still trying to figure out a 'manly' way to thank Ninjor for saving his life on Venus Island, and Jen was...was...

 _Where did she go?_

* * *

The Command Centre

-Access Corridor-

 _Up is down and down is up._

Nothing felt like it made sense right now.

Steelix!?

Of all the people to owe her life to, she has to owe it to that traitor – that murderer! She didn't know what kind of game that the mutant was playing but if he seriously thought that she would ever forgive him for his past discretions then...

"Jen?"

Coming out of her own head, the Time Force officer turned around to meet Billy walking towards her. "Hey."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Jen nodded in response. Apart from the broken ribs, internal injuries, cuts, bruises and owing her life to a traitorous piece of...

She took a deep breath. "I'm okay, Billy. Thank you."

Not entirely convinced, the Blue Mighty Morphin Ranger reconsidered what he had come here to say. "Um...it was just, while everyone else is saying their goodbyes..."

"Yeah, I'm sorry," she butted in. "I didn't mean...that was rude. I just needed to clear my head a bit but..."

"No, it's not that..." he said, somewhat hesitantly. What he was about to do meant going behind the backs of the other Power Rangers – something he was NOT comfortable doing – but he had made a promise. Zordon knew about it, of course (it would be just about impossible to keep a secret from him) and, despite his reservations on the matter, he also understood that this wasn't his choice to make. "There's someone else here who wanted to see you before you left," he explained, to a puzzled look on Jen's face. "Actually, he's right outside."

As Billy walked back up the corridor to the control room, Jen squinted her eyes. What was he talking about? Who wanted to see her?

Recognising a Power Ranger approaching, the blast doors opened as Jen slowly stepped out into the desert sun, surprised to find a familiar face waiting.

"Jason?"

"Jen," the former Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger said.

"It's good to see you," she said, unsure exactly what was going on. The last time she had saw Jason, he had taken the mantle of the Gold Zeo Ranger but she had to remember that those events were yet to take place. The Jason Lee Scott who stood before her hadn't yet lived that day and, at this moment in time, he wasn't a Power Ranger at all.

"I asked Billy to contact me if you ever came back," he told her. "I need you to listen to what I have to say."

"Jason..."

"There are two things that happened during my tenure as a Power Ranger – two failures – that eat away at me," Jason began before she could stop him. "One of them, I can't ever do anything about," he said, in reference to his failure to retrieve the Green Candle, "but the other? I failed to stop Djolnel – WE failed. Every bit my failure as much as yours. I know how you feel and, so, you know I feel. That's why I had to see you, again! It's why I needed to talk to you! It's why I asked you before and it's why I'm asking you again! I can help you stop Djolnel – I NEED to help you stop him! I'm asking you, Jen: Take me with you."

 _Please, take me with you._

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 **Next Chapter – 1996(I): "The Hole in History"**


	4. 1996(I)

**powerrangerstimeforceteamuppowerrang**

' **The Missing Mile' (3005 AD)**

The Infinity Complex

-4-Space Optics Wing (Restricted Access)-

 _THIS...was NOT what I was expecting..._

Her eyes darted back and forth in her head as she marvelled at the holographic display that had filled the room all around her. It was almost inconceivable to believe that this could actually be what it appeared to be but, really, there was nothing else it could be.

And it was INCREDIBLE.

"Is this..?"

"Yes," came the response, "each and every 4-space infraction that has occurred in known history, all filed and coded into a single readable document – the most comprehensive map of time ever produced: a timeline of our timeline."

When she had confronted Alex about his priorities, pushing for him to explain what had been taking up so much of his time as of late, she never imagined that she would be looking at something like this.

And, honestly, she now felt slightly foolish for doubting him.

Constructed in the wake of the Infinity Paradox, which wreaked such devastation across the galaxy, the Infinity Complex had once served as the primary base of operations to the first incarnation of Time Force.

Located under the desert, not far from Millennium City, the massive subterranean complex and the immediate surrounding area was completely controlled by Time Force. Devoid of life or vegetation, the land on top was completely barren and the skies above it off limits to anyone not wearing the Time Force badge. Completely invisible to all kinds of advanced surveillance methods, it was practically impossible for anyone on the outside to obtain any kind of intel on what went on inside the facility, leading to the strip of land which concealed it becoming known as the 'Missing Mile' (the stretch of land actually measured 1.6 miles long but because alliteration).

Named after the disaster that inspired its creation, the complex served as both a reminder and a stronghold where those dedicated could preserve the sanctity of the timeline, enforcing the laws and ideals that would prevent anything on that scale from ever occurring again.

Nowadays, Time Force was accounted for across multiple worlds. Recognised as the definitive enforcer of temporal integrity, their presence was known by dozens of manned facilities amongst the stars and the hundreds of races that employed their ranks. The Infinity Complex, despite its stature, was now, on a normal day, home to only as much as three personnel – the facility almost entirely self sufficient in performing its day to day operations.

She had been inside the Infinity Complex only twice before, it having become something of a tradition that all personnel under the Time Force banner would pay at least one visit to see where it all began – there was even a short tour on offer where rookie officers could interact with a holographic environment based on the early days of the complex, featuring several of the legendary pioneers who once operated there.

The 4-Space Optics wing served the most important function of the entire Infinity Complex. It was from here that their own systems at the Epsilon Facility and all the other Time Force bases on other worlds received the real-time updates that allowed them to successfully track and contain situations relating to time-crime.

Jen had always believed that 4-Space Optics was the pinnacle of temporal observation and recording. Moments ago, she was proven wrong.

"The most advanced 4-Space observation and positioning computer ever manufactured," Alex introduced as he opened the hidden command-level clearance access way and led her down the stairway below the Optics wing to a secret area of the complex that was known only to a few individuals. "The Looking Glass allows a person to 'see' the timestream in a way that was never before possible," he explained. "The projection surrounding us is a meticulously drawn image of the course of time as the computers observe it. I began this project years ago, not long after I took command of the Epsilon Facility. I wasn't the first Time Force leader to attempt it and I soon discovered why it had never been completed," he said, the tone of his voice bearing the taxing nature of what he had accomplished here. "As the situation with Djolnel worsened, I refocused my efforts in completing the model. Once we discovered that the points in which the Sand of Time had been deployed were no longer accessible – that events were effectively fixed in a way that could not be altered or revisited – I began to spend even more time here."

"Alex, nobody has seen you in weeks," Jen said. "Just how much time have you spent doing this?"

"It's all I've been doing," he admitted. "We're at the end, Jennifer. You know that."

"But I don't understand," she replied. "What exactly were you looking for?"

A stern look appeared across the commander's face. "Anything that could help us stop him."

"This is us," Jen said, pointing to the year 2997 and running her finger all the way to the exit point. "1994. The first time we went after Djolnel. Where all of this started."

"Yes," Alex acknowledged. A mission across a thousand years that, despite happening only eight years ago, may as well have been a thousand years removed. So much had changed.

"You were looking for a way to piggyback on an existing time breach," she said, in realisation. "Use an old vortex since we can't open a new one."

"The calculations proved to be of a level of intricacy that left the risks significantly outweighing the rewards," he answered. "The idea was quickly dismissed."

Swiping his hand through the air, every infraction represented on the display became highlighted by various colours. "I've detailed every 4-space breach and anomaly that has occurred across history. Where the information exists, I've linked the breach from its point of entry to its exit point," he continued. "All infractions and anomalies have been categorized by type, colour coded for simplicity. The yellow highlights represent unnatural tears and rifts in the space-time continuum. Blue is for wormholes connecting two points in time. Green is for time travel evoked through mystical means," he explained, pointing to examples. "Red shows standard 4-space travel via the timestream, except for these ones highlighted in black which represent Djolnel's incursions and these ones in pink that show every time you went after him." He noticed her lips curling into a smile at those words. "I thought you'd like that.

"Now, the white marks represent the unknown. Anomalies in the timeline of an unidentified nature and origin. I'm sure you have no problem recognising this one," he said, directing her attention to a cluster of the markings.

"The Infinity Paradox," she gulped. Despite the huge scale of the event, everything it took to stop it, and everything that they lost, it was scary to think about how little they actually knew about it.

"Yes," Alex said, "but I think I'd be correct in saying that you're not as familiar with this one."

"What is that?" she asked, the highlighted area unlike any other on the display – a solid mass of white that seemed to encompass several weeks of time.

"THAT is the 'hole in history,'" came his reply.

"The what?" she asked, completely unfamiliar with what he said.

"For almost one month in early 1996, NOTHING happened. No birth certificates, no death certificates, no historical moments, no media releases or news stories, just...nothing," Alex replied. "There are absolutely no records of any event having occurred over those four weeks.

"That isn't possible?" she responded.

"There's an anomaly hanging over this time period," Alex explained. "Somehow, this four week stretch takes place outwith our timeline...yet, there's nothing else in its place. It happened AND it didn't happen."

"And Time Force never went to investigate?" Jen enquired. "Nobody was ever curious about what the hell this thing was?"

Alex shrugged. "After the whole scenario involving 'misplacing' a giant robot dinosaur, Time Force weren't so keen on using their resources for the purposes of exploration."

"Look where the anomaly is placed. Djolnel deployed the Sands here and here," she said, pointing to the black marks nearest either end of the white block. "You said that it exists outside the timeline – look! Do you see how the timestream literally flows around it?"

"I do."

"That means he can't get in, right? We can't just ignore this, Alex," she said adamantly. "We can't just sit around and wait for Djolnel to re-emerge because, this time, it'll be too late – it'll already be over. He may not be able to enter that anomaly but WE can – the Time Shuttle can get us there! We can't sit on this, we need to act. NOW."

Alex hesitated for a moment, as if considering her proposal when, in reality, he brought her here so that she could work out exactly that. "I can authorise a two person exploration unit. Strictly reconnaissance. Off the books."

A smile formed across Jen's face. "I'll contact Wes," she answered. "We'll be ready to leave in one hour."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the commander asked, suddenly, pulling Jen's badge and Morpher out of his pocket.

Her jaw went rigid. "Am I still suspended from duty?" she asked. "Sir?"

"No," he replied after a brief pause, placing her badge and Morpher on the surface top in front of her.

She snatched both objects up. "Then I'll brief Wes of..."

"BUT you are on probation," he interrupted, "meaning that you can't go on assignment without being under the supervision of a superior officer."

Her eyes widened as she realised exactly what that meant.

"Head back to Epsilon and gear up," he instructed. "We leave in one hour." And with that, he turned around and made his way back up into the main facility, leaving Jen standing alone with her mouth hanging open.

 _How the hell did that just happen?_

 **erstimeforceteamuppowerrangerstimeforc**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable characters, places, names etc. in this non profit fanfiction.

Rated T as chapters contain violence and occasional mild bad language.

* * *

 **Power Rangers: Time Force Team-up**

 **Chapter 1996(I): "The Hole in History"**

 **Part 1**

 **Angel Grove, California**

Angel Grove Elementary School

 _The worst thing that's ever happened!_

The entire world sent reeling backwards in time. Stripped of the Power they needed to defend it. No way of knowing if they'd ever be able to set things back on the right track. And here he was, back in elementary school...

...and having the time of his life!

Heading down the school corridor in search of his friends, Tommy Oliver was overcome with a sense of wonder and excitement the likes of which he hadn't felt in years! He couldn't even remember the last time he felt so FREE! No longer was the weight of the world on his shoulders – no, that responsibility now fell upon the Alien Rangers of Aquitar. From now on, it was THEIR job to...

There it was again.

Ever since being transformed back into a ten year old when Master Vile reverted the Earth to some altered version of its own past, Tommy had felt his personality slowly begin to reflect his physical appearance. It wasn't all the time, just every so often, but he would begin to forget what things were like before this happened – to forget what it was like to really be a Power Ranger – those days sometimes seeming more like a dream than a memory.

Zordon had told him and the others that they had to accept and even embrace the changes and feelings they were experiencing in their new forms but he couldn't help but worry that, if they followed that road too far, there would be no coming back from it and those memories of their lives as Power Rangers would soon disappear completely.

"Hey, guys!" he called out, spying his friends Rocky Desantos and Adam Park across the corridor.

"Aww, man, Tommy," Rocky said, excitedly, "you missed it! Bulk and Skull were farting in the hallway and then a teacher told them to stop and then Bulk squeezed really hard and I think he followed through and he was all walking like..." He stopped as he recognised the puzzled look on his friend's face. "Wait...when did farting go back to being funny?"

"I think maybe round about the time we went back to being ten," Adam answered, embarrassed.

"I feel it, too, guys," Tommy admitted. "We need to figure out a way to set things right..."

 _...before we lose our real selves forever._

* * *

 **Secret Location, California**

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _This is getting us nowhere!_

Pulling himself away from the control console, Billy Cranston pressed his fingers into his eyes in a futile attempt to suppress the ache forming behind them. After days of simulations and experiments, he had finally reached his breaking point.

"I am sorry, Billy," the inhuman voice of Delphine said from behind before she and the other Power Rangers of Aquitar stepped forward to reclaim their Power Coins from within the regeneration device.

After the destruction of their own Power Coins at the hands of Rita and Zedd, Billy had hoped that the Aquitians' Coins could be used similarly to power the device but, while they did indeed generate the required energy, they had proven to be insufficient in providing a means to restoring the young Rangers to their rightful forms.

When the previous model of the regeneration device had successfully reverted him back to his true age, it had been through his spiritual link to his own Ninja Power Coin – the Morphin Grid recognising his spirit and reconnecting him with the form that had wielded the Power. The Aquitian Power Coins offered no such link for the young Rangers.

"Okay, Alpha, maybe we can..." he began, not even entirely sure of what he was going to suggest, when Zordon interrupted him.

"Perhaps, Billy, a respite is in order."

"Yes," Aurico responded, his mouth feeling dryer by the second, "a reprieve from proceedings is indeed in order." Despite his frustrations, the former Blue Ranger found it difficult to argue.

"It would be...beneficial for us to pursue options of rehydration in the meantime," Cestro suggested, the preliminary symptoms of dehydration affecting him, as well.

"An infant Earthling to whom I spoke told me of a great place with much in the way of fresh water," Tideus suggested. "A place known as 'The Falls of Niagara.' His parents once took him there."

"To rehydrate?" asked Corcus.

"Presumably," came the reply.

"Alpha, please have our friends teleported to their location of choice," Zordon instructed his robotic assistant. Earth's water was, thus far, proving insufficient in suitably rehydrating the Aquitians, providing only a temporary solution, forcing them to explore the planet's fresh water reserves in order to determine where best to seek that which they required.

As the five alien Rangers teleported away, Billy threw his hands in the air and quietly cursed himself for his failings.

"Billy, you cannot hold yourself accountable for our current predicament," Zordon said, "you have done everything in your power to help."

"I know, Zordon," he replied. "I just wish I could find the answer – ANY answer right now!"

"Have you considered that it may be the question that you need to change," his mentor suggested. "For now, our quest to return the other Rangers and the planet to its normal state appears to have reached an impasse. Your efforts may be better suited in finding a way to ensure a comfortable stay for our Aquitian friends."

"Zordon?" Billy asked, unsure exactly of what the wizard was saying.

"The waters of Earth are proving to lack the purity of their home world," he explained. "Without the means to properly replenish their hydration levels, they will never be able to defend this planet at their full strength. This problem becomes of greater significance in the event of an extended stay."

Billy swallowed hard. Zordon was right, as always. They currently had no active leads on restoring the course of time to its natural state and they were already asking a great deal of the Alien Rangers without expecting them to fight in a weakened condition. "Perhaps I could develop some kind of molecular regenerator that could replicate conditions akin to that of their native waters?"

"I think that would be a splendid use of your talents, Billy," Zordon replied.

Before anything else could be said, their voices were drowned out by the blaring sound of the Command Centre's temporal scanners.

"What's going on, Alpha?" Billy asked, a hundred different scenarios running through his mind – he hadn't even been successful in finding a solution to the temporal predicament that they currently found themselves dealing with and now the scanners were alerting them that things could be getting worse!?

"Ai-ai-ai! It's a time breach!" the droid revealed

A breach? Billy froze in place as he considered the ramifications of what the droid had just said, his fears that the anomaly hanging over them was growing or evolving subsiding. A breach meant that someone, or some THING, had travelled from another place in time to here, right now.

Djolnel.

It had to be. The monster from the future had returned once again and, on this occasion, his appearance coincided with a time that the Power Rangers were completely incapacitated!

"Bringing it up on the viewing globe," Alpha said.

His heart racing, Billy moved closer to inspect the image that formed within, a sigh of relief escaping from his lungs when the picture came into focus.

"Um, Alpha?" he asked. "Are you positive there was only one breach?"

 _And if so, why have THEY come here?_

* * *

 **Californian Desert**

Secluded Location

 _What are we waiting for!?_

Leaning against the Time Shuttle with her arms crossed over her chest, Jen was finding it more and more difficult to obey Alex's instructions. It had now been over twenty minutes since they exited the timestream and, in that time, they had done absolutely NOTHING! Why weren't they doing something? They came here to investigate the temporal anomaly that hung over this time period in the hope that they could learn something that could help them turn the tide against Djolnel and the fastest way of doing that was to seek out the allies that they had already established during this time! THAT should have been their first move!

"Alex, waiting around gets us NOTHING!" she spat, no longer able to keep her frustrations to herself. "Don't you want to know what's going on? Zordon and the Power Rangers are the best and quickest way that we are going to..."

"We don't know what effects the anomaly has had on this time period," Alex told her. "If Zordon and the Power Rangers exist here as we know them, then they will come to us," he said, walking back into the shuttle.

Jen snorted. And how much longer were they supposed to wait for that, exactly!? God, she hated not being in charge! Why didn't Alex want to know if there was something here that could help them stop Djolnel!?

That was why they were here...wasn't it? Or did he have another motive? Is that why he chose to accompany her on this mission? To get her to himself? Did he really think that after everything that had happened, she would actually...

"Jen?"

Finally!

"Billy!" she replied, pulling herself away from the shuttle's hull. "What the hell took you so long!?"

"It's good to see you, too," the former Blue Ranger replied, sarcastically. "What are you doing here? Is Djolnel..?"

"No, Djolnel's not here," Jen answered through half a smile. "This is more of a reconnaissance mission, actually. I'll get straight to the point," she continued, as Alex re-emerged from the shuttle. "Have you noticed anything...strange going on, lately?"

"Strange? Nothing that stands out," Billy replied. "Although, time did recently roll backwards by around seven years."

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" Alex asked.

Still a little perplexed at why the duo was here, Billy decided that words didn't offer the best explanation of what had transpired. "Come on, it's better if I show you."

 _Then maybe you can help us fix this mess!_

 **End of Part 1**

* * *

 **Part 2**

Downtown Angel Grove

 _We shouldn't be here!_

"Um, Bu-Bulky? I-I-I don't think this is a good idea," Skull stuttered, following hesitantly behind his friend.

"Shut up, pin-head," Bulk replied, venturing further into the damaged structure.

"Bulk, please, I don't think we're supposed to play in here," Skull pleaded.

"We're not playing, we're investigating," came Bulk's reply.

"Investigating what!?" Skull spat, his voice shaky.

"I dunno. Alien stuff?" he shrugged. This building and the ones surrounding it were currently uninhabited citing damages caused in last week's amazing battle between the Alien Rangers and the giant monsters that had threatened the planet. Considering most of the population were smart enough to stay clear of the danger, it hadn't been too difficult for a pair of truant kids to slip past the police cordon.

"Bulk, please, I'm scared – I wanna go back to school," the young man pleaded.

"How could you rather be at..." Bulk paused mid-sentence. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"I-I-I don't hear anything," Skull answered, his voice trembling.

"This way," Bulk ordered, grabbing his friend by his arm and pulling him along as he attempted to hone in on the sound.

"Look, look – that one's hatching already!" they heard a voice say.

"That's what you call an 'early bird,' I believe!" came the voice of another.

Creeping closer, Bulk and Skull peered through a cavity in the floor to see two bizarre individuals standing almost directly beneath them.

"Who...what are they?" Skull whispered, his voice still shaking.

"I...I don't know," Bulk replied. "One looks like some kind of...monkey man! And the other looks like a fat, blue..."

"...you!" Skull finished, unable to take his eyes off of the strange beings until something else caught his attention. "Are those...eggs?" Leaning in for a closer look, a huge beak appeared through the hole in the floor, snapping aggressively mere inches from his face. Screaming at the sight of the feathered talons that reached through the hole towards them, the truant pair spun around and hastily made their way back the road they came. Scrambling as fast as their legs could carry them, the still screaming duo successfully made it outside, only to be grabbed from behind by two large hands.

"And where would you two boys be heading off to in such a hurry?"

 _I know exactly what to do with both of you._

* * *

 **U.S/Canadian International Border**

Niagara Falls

 _What a curious species._

Equal parts fascinated and terrified, the Earthlings had quickly become a point of intrigue to Delphine. Half of them couldn't get close enough, literally waiting in line to meet them, many of them wanting to stand shoulder to shoulder with them whilst using light to record an image of the occasion. The other half, in contrast, couldn't get far enough away, choosing instead to satisfy their curiosity from afar.

Submerged in the crashing waters behind her, Corcus and Tideus had entered the final stages of the rehydration process. Alas, the falls had proven to be no match for the fresh waters of their home world, lacking the purity required to sufficiently rehydrate their bodies. This 'Niagara' certainly had some explaining to do!

"Aurico, gather the others," she instructed the Red Ranger. "It is time for us to return to Zordon's Command Centre."

 _Earth's enemies remain quiet for too long._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _That...that isn't possible?_

Staring dumbfounded at the images displayed in the viewing globe, Jen was sure that her eyes were playing tricks on her. "Billy," she began hesitantly, "is that..."

"Affirmative," the former Blue Ranger replied, the look on her face enough to tell him that she had recognised what he had wanted to show her.

"...Tommy?"

Billy nodded, "And Aisha, Rocky, Adam and Katherine," he added, motioning to the group of children presented in the image.

"How is this possible?" Alex asked, almost in disbelief, but there was no doubt that the child in the centre of the group possessed more than just a passing resemblance to Tommy Oliver.

"The planet has been regressed backwards in time," Billy replied.

"No, it hasn't," came Alex's response.

"This is still 1996," Jen stated. "Earth's place in time can't just be separated from the rest of the universe. So, that means this anomaly is..."

"Mystical," her commander finished.

"You are both correct," Zordon confirmed from behind them. "The predicament we find ourselves in is the result of a mystical artefact planted on the planet by our enemies. Despite our best efforts, we were unsuccessful in preventing events from transpiring as they have."

"All living things and inanimate objects on the planet were affected by the time distortion," Alpha 5 explained. "However, while everything was reverted to an earlier state of being, the course of history was somehow altered to accommodate for the discrepancies resulting from the passage of time. For instance, neither Tommy, Adam, Katherine, Aisha nor Rocky actually lived in Angel Grove seven years ago."

"So, if we're saying that the entire planet has been changed, why aren't YOU affected, Billy?" Alex enquired.

"I was," he replied. "I developed a means for myself and the other Rangers to be returned to our true forms through the Morphin Grid," he explained. "Unfortunately, Zedd and Rita were able to destroy our Power Coins immediately following my success in restoring myself. Without the Coins, there was no way to repeat the process on the others."

"Leaving you powerless," Jen acknowledged.

"And the longer the others remain in these physical forms, the further their mental states change to match," Billy finished.

"And nobody else on Earth remembers?" Jen asked. "None of them have any idea that things aren't the way they're meant to be?"

"There was panic when the distortion first occurred," Billy answered, "but that initial hysteria soon subsided and people seemed to no longer be aware of what had transpired."

"But why?" Jen said, determined to learn all she could.

"The mind can only process that which it understands," Zordon interjected. "It is far easier to accept that things are as they are meant to be than to consider that which is beyond our comprehension."

Nodding, the former Blue Ranger continued, "Both our spiritual connection to the Morphin Grid and our knowledge of what was happening allowed us to remain aware."

"I'd like to analyse the temporal signature of the anomaly from its insertion up until this point," Alex stated. "Alpha, could you assist me?"

"Certainly, future friend," the droid replied.

"How did you go about explaining THIS to your family?" Jen enquired, gesturing at Billy's appearance. "I'm guessing 'puberty' wouldn't have cut it?"

"Actually, I didn't have to explain it," he answered, looking at his feet. "Somehow, when I restored myself to my true age, the distortion corrected the discrepancy I had caused. My parents no longer have a son in this version of events. I turned myself into a time anomaly."

Jen stared at him, shocked at what he had told her.

"Just one more reason to make sure we put things right," he said, trying his best to sound hopeful.

"So," Jen started, trying desperately to think of a way to change the subject, "if your enemies have succeeded in getting rid of the Power Rangers, who's been defending Earth in your absence?"

Just then, a flash of multi-coloured light descended from the sky onto the control room floor and five unearthly beings materialised.

"Jen, meet the Power Rangers."

 _Just in case you weren't confused enough._

* * *

Angel Grove Elementary School

 _Well, well, well..._

Placing her hands on her hips as she watched the two boys being huddled through the door, Ms. Ballantyne's eyes narrowed into slits. "Farquas? Eugene?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the boys' escort declared, "I know it's the end of the school day but I found this pair playing down at the police cordon and thought it only best to bring them back to where they were supposed to be."

"Not to worry," the teacher replied, "There will be plenty of time for these two to catch up AFTER hours...in detention. Thank you, Sergeant Stone."

Tipping his hat, the police Sergeant turned around and left, closing the door behind him.

"Ms. Ballantyne! Ms. Ballantyne!" Bulk and Skull cried together, their words almost incoherent as they jumbled together right before the school bell signalled an end to the school day.

"Remember, everyone," the teacher yelled over the sounds of squeaking chairs and excited chatter, "I want your assignment on my desk first thing in the morning! No excuses. You two," she said, turning to Bulk and Skull, "take your seats. Honestly, what were you thinking going down there? Were you thinking!? You could have been hurt! Or worse!"

"But Ms. Ballantyne! We saw them!" Bulk cried.

"The birds! The big birds in the nest!" Skull added. "And the monkey-man and the big blue Bulk!"

As the rest of the class laughed at their tale, the former Power Rangers among them instead exchanged concerned glances.

"Did that sound to any of you like..." Tommy began.

"Tengas?" Aisha chimed.

"Squatt and Baboo, too," Adam added. "Something must be going on."

"And we don't even have our communicators to contact the Command Centre," Katherine noted.

"We need to get Tommy and Kat and head down there to check it out," Tommy suggested.

 _We can still do THAT, at least._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _Why does the responsibility then fall on us?_

Aurico's question was a valid one. Only moments before, the Power Rangers of Aquitar had been introduced to the Time Force duo currently occupying the control room. As fascinating as the two's time travelling exploits were, a more interesting matter had come to their attention: the Earth wasn't without its own team of Power Rangers, after all.

 _"It is considerably more complicated than that,"_ Delphine replied, lifting her eyes slightly towards Zordon. The wizard's gaze left her little doubt that their telepathic conversation was not unnoticed by him and, likely, he knew exactly what it was that they needed to so privately discuss amongst themselves. Of course, his realisation of this also came with understanding.

 _"Time travel is always complicated,"_ Tideus added to the silent discussion, " _but that doesn't alter the fact that this world isn't without protection in the manner that we were led to believe."_

 _"It is not a good idea to interfere with the proper course of events,"_ Cestro contributed. " _However, these 'Time Rangers' appear tasked in dealing with such attacks on time. Whether the Earth's current situation falls under such jurisdiction may not be for us to decide."_

 _"Our own world remains undefended in our absence,"_ Corcus mused. " _We were willing to take on the mission presented to us by Zordon without a moment's hesitation for it appeared the right thing to do, a decision that is now in dispute."_

 _"I understand your grievances,"_ Delphine acknowledge, " _and I, too, miss the comforts of home. However, we know not enough about the operations of these Rangers from the future to make a decision at this time. For now, the most logical action is to remain on the course we are on and wait to see what the future holds."_

"Have you ever been to the future, Jen?" Billy asked, oblivious to the telepathic debate happening in their midst. The confused look that met his question told him that he was going to need to be more specific. "I mean, your own future," he said. "You travel backwards into history but have you ever ventured forward?"

"It's not possible," came her reply, "All Time Force systems are blocked from locking onto coordinates set beyond our natural chronological position. Aside from the ethical and paradoxical implications of traveling into uncharted time, the risks associated are too great."

"How things are today may not be how things are tomorrow," Billy said, understandingly.

"There were...experiments, of course," Jen answered, cautiously. "Early time trials saw messages, surveillance equipment...even live subjects, sent forward in time. Nothing ever came back. They called this phenomenon, the 'Time Force.'"

"You named it after your organisation?" Billy asked with a bemused smile on his face.

"No, we took our name from it," she said with a smirk. "It was an old theory that the reason nothing ever came back is because whatever version of Time Force exists in the future didn't allow them to come back. That WE were that Time Force."

"Do you believe that?" he asked.

"No," she answered. "The loophole debunks it – that you can bring someone from the past back to the future with you. I don't know why we can't travel into our own future. I guess...it's just the way it is."

"So, your future is unknown to you?"

"What's this about, Billy?" she asked, now realising that there was an ulterior motive.

"The last time you were here, Wes accidentally mentioned a conversation between us that I hadn't yet experienced," Billy explained.

"Is that right?" Jen replied, clearly annoyed.

"Don't get mad at him – all this time travelling is pretty hard to follow," he said. "Anyway, the point I'm making is that, since Wes isn't here, then that means that conversation still awaits me in my future. That means..."

"Billy..." Jen began.

"That means," he continued, "that, however hopeless our situation seems right now, somehow we find a way out of it and you've seen how things turn out for us. But then I consider the ramifications of this time anomaly and I realise the possible paradoxical consequences and that nothing is guaranteed." He hesitated as he gathered himself. "I guess what I'm looking for is hope, Jen, because I honestly can't see the way out of this."

"Billy, I've been clean out of hope for quite some time now," the Pink Time Force Ranger admitted, "but this? This represents the first smidgen of hope in a long time. I KNOW there's something here – I can feel it! And I don't know how you get out of this situation, Billy, but I know that you'll find a way."

Sighing, the former Blue Ranger nodded. He hadn't really expected her to tell him how the future turns out but, really, how could he not have at least asked?

"Well, perhaps you can satisfy my scientific curiosity instead?" he proposed, trying not to dwell. "I didn't have the opportunity to enquire the last time you were here but myself and the others were recently involved in two separate time travel incidents. One of those events saw Kimberly falling through a tear in the space time continuum that took her to Angel Grove in 1880, over a hundred years ago. The other involved all of us being sent back even further to colonial Angel Grove in the late 18th century through the use of magic. Neither of these trips through time inflicted upon us any sort of physical toll like those you depicted in travelling unshielded through the timestream. It made me wonder why Time Force, the foremost authority on time travel would have relied on a vessel to carry them through the timestream when such other options were available. Of course, you wouldn't, so that left only one possible answer."

Jen nodded, unable not to smile at Billy's scientific acumen. "The chroniton radiation in the timestream may be hazardous to organic life but this method of transportation is the only way that isn't damaging to time itself," she explained, confirming what the former Blue Ranger had already concluded. "These wormholes and spatial rifts leave a sort of 'scar tissue' in the fabric of time that never fully heals. When too many of these damaged points exist, that fabric becomes stretched too thin." She hung her head for a moment, a gesture that told Billy that what she spoke of wasn't merely theoretical. "The results are devastating."

Billy gulped, almost sorry he asked. "At least now I know that those methods are off the table," he said. "Not that I'm considering time travel as..."

"No," Jen interrupted, surprising him. "My history, your future, is already laden with these temporal infractions. Trying to alter that now will only offer the same result."

"A paradox," Billy surmised.

"If you ever have to explore those avenues, then it's probably already written," she said before heading over to check on how Alex and Alpha were getting on.

Sighing, the former Blue Ranger stared into the sky as he contemplated the weight of this new knowledge.

 _Why do I do this to myself?_

* * *

Downtown Angel Grove

 _I've got a bad feeling about this._

"Guys, I don't like the sound of that," Aisha whispered, clutching Rocky's arm with both of hers while Katherine clung tightly to her.

"Everybody stay close," Tommy instructed, despite the group already being huddled as close to one another as physically possible, the sounds of scratching and screeching growing louder the closer they crept to the source.

"That...sounds like..." Katherine started, almost afraid to say the words.

"A whole LOT of Tengas," Adam finished for her. "Tommy, we gotta get out of here."

"I like that idea!" Aisha replied, Katherine nodding emphatically behind her. "Let's go!"

His fists clenched, Tommy prepared to protest. They couldn't just run away! They were the Power Rangers! But as the words caught in his throat, he realised that he was frozen to the spot, the only movement being his trembling knees. What was he thinking!? They weren't the Power Rangers! They were just kids! And he was now very aware of just how scared he actually was.

"Tommy?" Rocky said, snapping him out of his trance.

"Yeah," he replied, finally able to form words again. "Let's go."

Turning back the way they came, the five youngsters scrambled for the exit only to find their way blocked.

"Not so fast, Rangers!" Baboo said. "I can't believe it – I never thought I'd ever be in this position! I'm the one to finally kill the Power Rangers!"

As the alien lunged towards them, Rocky, acting quickly, grabbed a piece of debris that was lying nearby and smashed it into the monocle on Baboo's face.

"RUN!" screamed Katherine, all five of them running past the momentarily blinded monster. Approaching the exit, Tommy looked back to make sure that everyone was keeping up.

"Tommy, look out!" Adam yelled.

Turning back around, the former White Ranger ground to a halt at the sight of a Tenga that stood between them and the doorway.

"This way!" Katherine shouted, grabbing Tommy by the hand and pulling him away from the creature's outreached talons. Their alternate route would garner no more success as another Tenga appeared before them. And another. And another. Before they knew it, they were surrounded on all sides by the giant birds. All directions blocked. No way out.

Their eyes filling with tears, the five children took one last look at each other as the predators descended upon them, knowing that their lives were about to end. The squawking almost deafening, Tommy squeezed Katherine's hand tightly as he closed his eyes to prepare for the end, knowing that it was he who had led them to their demise.

 _I'm sorry, guys._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _Are we...dead?_

With no idea what would greet him, Tommy slowly opened his eyes. "Alpha!" he exclaimed, prompting the others to open their eyes, as well.

"Phew! That was a close one!" the droid said, wiping its brow in a human-like imitation.

"Are you unharmed, Rangers?" asked Aurico, his head twitching from side to side in the way that the Earth Rangers had grown accustomed.

"Yeah," Rocky gasped. "I...I think?" he said, looking around quickly to check on his friends.

"I am greatly relieved that we were able to teleport you away from danger in time," Zordon said.

"What were you guys thinking heading in there alone like that?" Billy asked, surprising even himself with the almost parental tone of his voice. "What if something had happened to you?"

"It was my fault," Tommy admitted. "We heard Bulk and Skull talking about finding some kind of nest. We don't have our communicators so I thought we should check it out. I'm...I'm sorry..."

"Hey, it's okay," Billy said, "I'm just glad you're all okay." The sight of Tommy in such a state was difficult to behold and it only made him feel all the more guilty about his failings in restoring the team to their proper ages.

Nodding his head, the former White Ranger suddenly noticed that there were more amongst their number than he had realised. "Jen?" he asked, rubbing the tears out of his eyes as the other young Rangers spun around in her direction.

"Hey, Tommy," the Time Force Ranger answered awkwardly, unintentionally leaning over to bring herself closer to the height of the group of children. "Are you okay?"

"What...why are you here? Is Trip with you? Oh my god! Is Djolnel...?"

"No!" Billy interrupted quickly before a panic could ensue. "Djolnel isn't here."

"It's just you and Wes?" Tommy asked, looking past Jen to the other Time Force officer over at the control console.

"It's Alex, actually," came the commander's response, not even bothering to turn round when he spoke to them, his attention focused on analysing the data regarding the time anomaly.

"Man, I hate you guys," Tommy complained, only partially joking, Alex and Wes seemingly alternating in each encounter.

"Zordon, that building we were in," Katherine said, "I've never seen so many Tengas."

"I am aware, Katherine. Observe the viewing globe," their mentor responded. "Our scanners detected the threat only moments before we teleported you here."

"But how, Zordon?" Aisha asked, watching the images of the Tengas emerging from within the building, Squatt and Baboo cheering them on. "Why didn't the scanners pick this up sooner?"

"Squatt and Baboo have, in the past, been notoriously efficient in evading our means of detection," the Wizard answered. "It seems within reason that it is they who have been smuggling the Tenga eggs to the planet's surface."

The theory made sense. On many occasions, the otherwise inefficient misfit minions had been able to operate on the planet without being detected – a skill that was more than often unemployed by their masters.

"That still doesn't explain how there can be so many of them?" Rocky said.

"They're moving out into the streets!" Billy cried as the massive flock moved passed the quarantined area and into the populace.

"We have to do something!" shouted Tommy.

"You must stay here," Delphine corrected. "We shall engage the enemy. Rangers of Aquitar, are you ready?"

"Ready!" came the replies from all four of her comrades.

"Then, it's Morphin Time!" she yelled, squeezing her Power Coin in her hand as she and her teammates were enveloped in Morphin energy.

 _Rangers of Aquitar, we fight for the Earth!_

* * *

Downtown Angel Grove

 _What do I do!?_

Terrifying giant crows spilling into the streets all around him, Sergeant Jerome Stone stared at the trembling coffee cup in his hand. This isn't what he signed up for. Protect and serve may have been in the job description...but what was he supposed to do about THIS!?

Looking around at the sight of terrified civilians – women and children – fleeing for their lives, the Sergeant knew that there was only one thing he could do. Throwing the remainder of his coffee down his throat, he crushed the paper cup in his hand as he reached for his baton. "Protect and serve," he muttered to himself, just as a clawed hand sunk into his shoulder. Seething in pain as his blood seeped out through the wound, Sgt Stone looked around into the menacing eyes of his attacker. Screeching right into his face with its wide open beak, he braced himself for what came next...which, to his surprise, was a white boot crashing against the creature's head.

Falling to the ground as the claws were removed from his shoulder, Sgt Stone watched in awe as the figure in white disposed of his aggressor in a dazzling display of combat before reaching a hand towards him. Taking his hand in her own, she pulled him to his feet.

"You are a peacekeeper, yes?" she said, her unusual voice a little difficult to understand, sounding almost as if she were talking underwater.

"What?" he asked, still in shock.

"This badge is a symbol of your duties, is it not?" she asked, pointing to the shield on his uniform.

"Y-yes. Yes," he answered, gripping his injured shoulder.

"Then you and your allies must attempt to lead these humans out of harm's way," she instructed. "Leave the fighting to us."

Nodding emphatically, he watched as the White Alien Ranger rushed into battle alongside her teammates.

"You! This way! You can't stay here!" he shouted to a terrified family huddled behind some trash cans. Ignoring the pain, Sgt Stone guided them away from the battle between the monsters and the Alien Rangers, gathering more of the cowering innocents as he went and ushering them away from the danger. "All of you! This way – come on!"

The Tenga tumbling to the ground from the impact of the crescent kick, Aurico found himself spinning on the spot, delivering kick after kick as each Tenga to fall was just as quickly replaced by another. Just how many of them were there!? Unfortunately, the enemies piling around his feet presented problems and the Red Aquitian Ranger soon found himself with a new problem.

"Aurico!" cried Cestro, his warning too late to stop the Red Ranger's leg being snatched by one of the birds, dangling him upside down as he was lifted higher and higher into the air.

"Sorry, Tenga, but I prefer to stay out of the sky," Aurico said, aiming upwards with his blaster and firing off a perfectly placed laser blast that impacted directly under his captors beak, forcing it to release its grip on him.

Free falling towards the ground, the Red Ranger flipped his body to land gracefully on his feet, regrouping with the other Rangers.

"There are many more Tengas than we realised!" Tideus proclaimed. "We need to formulate a new strategy." True, the five Aquitians had found themselves completely overwhelmed by not only the sheer number of the creatures, but also the pure aggression displayed by the flock, none of them able to be overly effective against such odds.

"We must lead them to a water source," Delphine declared. "The water will give us the edge we require in this battle."

"Angel Grove Lake is not far from here," Aurico noted.

"How can we divert this many foes to a battlefield of our benefit?" Corcus asked, cautiously aware of the winged terrors closing in on their position.

"Their number are great, but they flock together," Cestro said. "If we can persuade the few, then the many will follow."

"Then let us see how persuasive we can be!" Tideus declared, a powered gauntlet appearing over his fist as he leapt straight into the leader of the incoming attackers, it's beak breaking under the impact of the punch.

"I believe you were convincing," Corcus told the Yellow Aquitian Ranger as the surrounding Tengas erupted into a frenzy.

"This way!" Delphine instructed, sprinting off in the direction of the park. As per Cestro's theory, not only did the disgruntled Tengas on the frontline give chase but the rest of the circling flock did so, as well. As the White Ranger neared the treeline on the outskirts of the park with her teammates close behind, it occurred to her that there may still be civilians present beyond the cover of the trees. However uncomfortable she was with leading a battle INTO a potentially populated area, the lake still provided their best chance at victory and, hopefully, the Tengas were far too fixated on her and the other Rangers to bother with any bystanders.

Crashing through the trees, she was relieved that the humans were scarce, many of them presumably having left the area once they caught wind of the nearby battle. Reaching the water, she put her foot out over its surface, but she did not submerge into it, instead, she continued to run across the water as though it were of a solid density – an impossible feat for someone of Earth but a standard skill for the water bred Aquitians.

Stopping atop the water, Delphine turned to face her pursuers, three squawking Tengas approaching at high speed, claws and beaks ready to tear her to shreds. Clasping her hands together in front of her chest, she merely stood, waiting, until they were close...and then the water in front of her erupted like a volcano – the force blasting her attackers upwards before dragging them back down into the water. The White Ranger stood still, barely moving even as her enemies splashed down all around her. The tides of the battle had turned.

Soaring inches over the water, another group of Tengas looked around, confused as to how they could have lost track of their target. Suddenly, from directly beneath them, the Black Ranger burst through the water, grabbing one of the unsuspecting birds and pulling it under. Like a black torpedo, Corcus moved through the water as easily as a Tenga moved through the air, one by one dragging the feathered fiends under.

Not wishing to join their brethren in the water, the other Tengas began to gain altitude, flying out of harm's way...or so they thought. Riding a jet of water through the sky, the Yellow Ranger slashed his way through the birds with his sabre, the water he rode zigging and zagging under his control. "Not today, beaky!" he quipped as the last of the airborne creatures plummeted down into the lake.

Dipping his sabre into the water, Aurico confronted the Tenga horde that had chosen not to fly over the water, staying on or over land where they thought the advantage lay with them. Whipping his blade out of the water, he flicked it in the Tengas' direction, the droplets of water following his command and firing in their direction. Little more than splashes, the Tengas pressed forward cautiously, weary of getting any closer to the lake.

"Hm, okay," the Red Ranger said, dipping his blade back into the water, "maybe you need a bigger dosage." Emerging from the lake, a large bubble – akin to a bucketful – floated up out of the water before soaring directly into the face of one of the birds. More suffered the same inconvenience, to the amusement of the Aquitian Ranger and disgruntlement of his foes. Tiring of the antics, the angry Tengas rushed forward – bent on eviscerating their prey – but stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of a huge wave rising from behind the Red Ranger.

"I believe this is what the Earthlings would call a washout!" Cestro said from atop the wave before it crashed down on the Tenga masses, their soaking bodies washed across the park.

"They are retreating!" Tideus observed, he and the others regrouping alongside the Red and Blue Rangers on land as the creatures made haste in the opposite direction, barely able to take flight with their soaked wings.

"Do we pursue them?" Corcus asked.

"No," Delphine replied. "We shall return to the Command Centre. Alpha 5 and Billy will be able to track their movements from there."

"What is wrong, Delphine?" Aurico asked, sensing her unsettled demeanour.

"Something does not feel right," she replied, concerned. "I fear this is merely the first act in a grander scheme."

 _This battle is only just beginning._

* * *

 **Earth's Moon**

Lunar Palace

-Chamber of Command-

 _All is going according to plan._

His visor glowing bright red as he observed events on the planet across space, a satisfied chuckle escaped through the metallic grill covering Lord Zedd's mouth.

"I can't believe you two idiots finally did something right!" Rita screeched, ecstatically.

"Yeah...well, I guess we were due?" Squatt muttered, unsure whether to feel complimented or insulted.

Grunting in disgust, Goldar stood with his arms folded, sickened at the display. It had been all too long since HE had been recipient of such praise from his masters.

"All the pieces are in place," Zedd hissed as he sat down atop his throne, gripping his staff in his hand.

 _They have no idea what awaits them._

 **End of Part 2**

* * *

 **Part 3**

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _No way..._

"Holy shit!" Rocky gasped.

"Hey, language!" Billy said sternly, to confused looks from the young Rangers. "Uh, sorry."

"Man, there's gotta be..." Tommy began.

"Thousands," Billy finished for him, the viewing globe cycling through the images of multiple Tenga nests in various stages of awakening. "The Command Centre's scanners confirm it."

"But how can there just SUDDENLY be so many of them?" Adam asked.

"I can only speculate that the seed provided to them by Master Vile to enhance their combat capabilities did not only that but also had a profound effect on the Tenga reproductive cycle, as well," Zordon theorized.

"Thirty-eight nests have been detected across the Northern Hemisphere," Alpha added.

"The situation is critical," their mentor continued, "If we do not devise a solution to deal with the growing Tenga population, they will quickly replace mankind as the dominant species on the planet."

"We will not let that happen!" Aurico declared.

"The Tengas that you encountered flew to join with the closest neighbouring nest in Reefside," the wizard explained.

"A super nest," Billy mused.

The blaring sound of the alarms indicated just how quickly the situation was escalating.

"Oh, no," Katherine said, the viewing globe showing a police task force about to engage the super nest. "We have to do something!"

"They don't stand a chance!" Aisha added.

"We shall return to the field of battle," Delphine stated, "but I fear our efforts alone will not be enough."

"We have to control the situation," Tommy said. "If ALL those eggs hatch..."

"Alpha and I are exploring all options," Billy said.

Collecting their helmets from atop the control console, the Aquitians readied themselves to go head to head against insurmountable odds.

"I commend all of you for your courage, Rangers of Aquitar," Zordon stated, solemnly. "May the Power protect you."

The sound of quiet bickering interrupted proceedings, before Jen pulled away from Alex and joined the Aquitians centre stage.

"Count me in!" she interjected.

"I thought you were here on an intelligence-gathering expedition?" Delphine enquired.

"I'd never watch my friends go into battle against THAT alone," she declared.

Looks of acknowledgement were exchanged between the Aquitian Rangers, each of them nodding in approval. With her helmet under arm, the White Ranger placed her fist across her chest and yelled, "Back to action!"

"Time for Time Force!" Jen cried, her Chrono Morpher unlocked with the touch of a finger, connecting her to the Morphin Grid and infusing her with the Power of the Pink Time Force Ranger.

 _No more waiting around!_

* * *

 **Reefside, California**

Reefside Warehouse District

 _Things are already looking bad!_

Touching down on the ground alongside the Alien Rangers, Jen quickly surveyed the scene. The local authorities had already fallen, several of them lying on the ground tattered and bloodied.

"We have incoming!" yelled Aurico, drawing his sword, the first wave of Tengas swooping down in synchronisation.

"Attack!" screamed Delphine, leaping into the air to meet them head on. Jen may have disliked not being the one issuing the orders but she was never one for a defensive approach. Her Chrono Sabres materialising in her hands, she followed The White Ranger's lead.

Black feathers rained down on the ground below as the Power Rangers slashed and kicked their way from foe to foe, unable to see one another amidst the chaos until all six landed back on solid ground at the other side. They had all made it through the first wave but they had barely made a dent in the Tenga army.

"Prepare to engage, again!" Delphine yelled.

 _"Rangers, do you hear me?"_

 _"We read you, Zordon!"_ the White Ranger replied to the booming voice inside her head. Although he was not naturally gifted with telepathy, the wizard's strong connection to the Morphin Grid allowed him to 'direct' his thoughts towards their own telepathic minds.

 _"The situation has worsened,"_ he explained. " _More nests have awakened and garnered attention from the humans."_

 _"We will need to split our efforts,"_ Aurico said. " _Although I do not predict fortune to favour us divided in the face of such odds. We will need to call upon the Battle Borgs."_

"What's going on?" Jen asked, not a part of the telepathic conversation.

 _"You face a rare challenge, Rangers,"_ Zordon acknowledged. " _Summon the Battle Borgs, but I would recommend you not use them to escalate things any further. Their presence alone may deter the Tengas."_

 _"Understood, Zordon,"_ said Delphine.

 _"Alpha 5 will send you to the most critically developing situations,"_ Zordon continued. " _Prepare for teleportation."_

Four of the Rangers disappearing in a rainbow blast, Jen and Delphine were left to stand alone against the Tenga super nest.

"Their efforts are required elsewhere," Delphine told Jen. "It would appear you and I have been tasked in dealing with the largest concentration of the Tenga forces."

"Lucky us," the Pink Time Force Ranger said sarcastically, before a huge shadow fell over them – the sun blotted out by the hundreds of enemies that filled the sky.

"All is not lost just yet," the White Ranger of Aquitar declared, reaching her arm into the air.

The colossal White Battle Borg appearing in a dazzling white flash, Jen cursed under her breath. Normally she would have access to Time Force's own arsenal of Zords from the 31st century but that luxury was not open to her on this occasion due to the covert nature of her and Alex's mission. "Well, aren't you going to board that thing?" she asked her extra terrestrial ally.

"Not necessary," Delphine said, raising her arm into the air, the machine copying her in a perfect imitation due to the psychic link connecting it to the White Ranger.

Impressed, Jen gripped her Chrono Sabres tightly. "Well then, what are we waiting for?"

 _Time to take these Tengas OUT!_

* * *

Lunar Palace

-Chamber of Command-

 _I'll NEVER grow accustomed to that noise!_

"What are you screeching about!" Lord Zedd asked angrily, slamming his fist down on the armrest of his throne. Sometimes he could swear someone must have put something in his drink when he asked the witch to marry him!

"There's another Ranger down there, Zeddy!" Rita shrieked, observing the battle on Earth through the mystical lens of her telescope-like device. "I think it's that bossy little Pink time traveller!"

"What!?" Zedd roared, jumping up out of his throne to look out over the palace balcony.

It was her! The same deep red glow that emanated from his visor now radiated from his entire body – an unmistakable sign of Lord Zedd's temperament. Normally, a breach in time such as the one that brought her here would not have gone unnoticed by him but the current temporal flux of the planet had dulled his senses to such activities.

"You want us to snatch her up again, Ed?" Rito asked

"I want her DESTROYED!" he roared into the skeletal face of his wife's brother.

"I have just the thing!" came a voice from behind.

"What have you got, Finster?" Rita asked whilst Zedd continued to growl.

"Overload is finished," the dog-like alien said of his latest creation. "A living storage battery, its power grows the more energy it absorbs. Once full, it can unleash the energy in a single devastating attack before simply absorbing more energy to replenish itself."

Zedd stepped forward, examining the cowering creature before him. Once Rita's most trusted servant, his list of duties had lessened in recent times. His loyalty to the witch, however, remained as strong as it had always been. Despite his diminished status, Finster had made himself useful today.

"Send it to Earth!" Zedd demanded. "The Pink Ranger of tomorrow dies TODAY!"

"Well done, Finster," Rita cackled quietly.

On the other side of the Chamber, Goldar stood, still with his arms folded, grunting as yet another mere lackey received praise that should be reserved for a warrior!

Still, the news that the Pink Ranger from the future was once again here had caught his attention. Did that mean that Djolnel, the monster who had infected him with...who knows what...was also here? Regardless, it seemed like a trip to Earth was in order.

 _I have questions that need answered..._

* * *

Reefside Warehouse District

 _There is no end to them!_

Using a dropkick to take down two Tengas, Delphine used the pair as a launch pad to propel herself backwards against two others. Swinging her arm through the air, the mighty White Battle Borg reacted in kind, swatting a number of the airborne creatures out of the sky. It was no easy task battling against so many enemies on the ground whilst simultaneously issuing telepathic commands to a colossal machine – a machine that was now beginning to look reminiscent of an unfortunate statue as more and more of the Tengas landed upon it.

Just then, the White Ranger noticed something else upon its outer shell. The Pink Time Force Ranger was ascending the giant robot – running in an almost spiral pattern up the Battle Borg's leg. Flashes of pink light pre-empted another Tenga falling from its perch as she got higher and higher until she stood alone atop the titan. A most impressive feat.

Another Tenga swooping down behind the Pink Ranger, Delphine, her concentration divided, was too late to command the Battle Borg to react, a fact that apparently was not requiring of her concern as Jen evaded her attacker with a movement that the Aquitian had never before seen – shifting almost in and out of phase as she leaned out of the Tenga's trajectory before cartwheel kicking the enemy as it passed over head. The Earthlings of the 31st century had certainly acquired some new tricks!

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky – striking Jen and sending her soaring from atop the Battle Borg, over the top of the warehouses and out of Delphine's sight. With Tengas still swarming all around her, her concern for the Pink Ranger of 3005 would need to wait. Jen was on her own for now, as was she.

* * *

Slowly rolling off of her back, Jen literally dragged herself back to her feet. Even with the protection provided by her Power Ranger suit, a fall from that height was never an easy one to recover from, not to mention that her body was still tingling from the...wait, what the hell was it that hit her!?

She didn't have long to wonder before her body once again went into spasm from the powerful electrical surge that sent her flying through the air again.

"Aaaaaarrrgggh!" she screamed once air refilled her lungs. Dazed, she attempted to locate the source of the attack whilst stumbling to her feet to find, walking towards her, a humanoid being, dark grey in colour with what looked like two large batteries atop his shoulders, his jagged eyes and mouth glowing white hot.

"Don't look so 'shocked' to see me!" the monster taunted, sparks shooting from its mouth when it spoke.

"Who..?" Jen began, still shaky.

"The name's Overload," it said, ripping a maintenance hatch open on the ground and grabbing hold of the power cables underneath. "I'll give you three guesses why..."

The power cells displayed on his shoulder mounted batteries reaching full, the monster almost completely disappeared within the searing white light that consumed it. Unable to move fast enough to evade, Jen once again bore the full blast of Overload's discharge. Gasping for air as she rolled to a stop, the Time Force Ranger desperately scrambled to an upright position, only for the monster to pounce on her – beating her with hard punches to the head and body before picking her up over his head and tossing her through the wall of the closest building. Her insides still burning from the electrical attacks she had endured, a terrible, all-encompassing thought filled Jen's mind:

 _I can't win this fight alone._

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _She can't win this fight alone!_

"Jen needs back-up!" Aisha cried, almost in tears watching the Pink Ranger's battle with the Overload monster.

"We need to reassign the Aquitians!" Tommy yelled.

The viewing globe cycling through the various ongoing situations, it was soon clear that wasn't an option. Delphine and Jen weren't the only ones with their hands full. In Hawaii, Canada, Costa Rica and El Salvador, the other four Rangers were pushed to their limits containing the awakened nests, all of them having required the need to call upon their Battle Borgs to hold the Tenga forces at bay.

"We can't risk pulling any of them out of position," Billy claimed. "The threat level is too high."

"We have to do SOMETHING!" Adam said.

"I'll teleport her back here," the former Blue Ranger said. "That way, we can..."

"She'll be fine."

"Alex?" Billy said, looking to the Time Force Commander, his back still facing them.

"Jennifer can handle it," he said, calmly. "She needs to do this alone. You should be concentrating your efforts on containing the Tenga infestation."

Eyebrows crossed, Billy looked up to Zordon while the five young former Rangers exchanged glances.

"I need to retrieve something from the Time Shuttle," Alex then said, leaving his post and strolling past them all on his way to the Zord BDR Hangar where the vessel was being stored. As the sliding doors closed behind him, everyone in the control room had the same thought on their mind:

 _What an asshole!_

* * *

Reefside Warehouse District

 _I won't survive another one of those blasts!_

Placing her hand across her smouldering chest, Jen looked upon the relentless monster that marched towards her. Lunging at it with a bicycle kick, Overload deflected her attack, barely missing with a huge haymaker-type strike. Realising that she couldn't compete with the monster in close quarters, she dived away – knowing all too well that she was no safer at distance. Instinctively drawing her Chrono Blaster, she fired multiple shots at the monster before she realised the futility in what she was doing.

"Why, thank you," Overload said, spitting sparks, the level on his power cells increasing as he absorbed the blasts.

"Stupid..." she muttered to herself. A monster that feeds on energy and she gives it to him! This thing was going to kill her. This monster, sent by the enemies of the legendary Rangers was going to...kill her?

She clenched her fists tightly. Was this how she wanted things to end? Killed by a lackey? A monster sent by a spited alien in some petty bid for revenge when the REAL monster was still out there!? No, this wasn't how her story was going to end!

Evaluating her situation, it occurred to her that Overload wasn't keen on expending his energy reserves – he was all about the big, full power blast when his storage was full. That meant she had room to work with!

"Okay, Sparky, let's see what you've got!" she yelled, sprinting towards her enemy who, apparently up for the challenge, raced to meet her. Overload's outstretched arms reaching for her, Jen leapt high over the monster's head. Summoning her Chrono Sabres from her Morpher in mid-air, she severed the support beams on the ceiling, the integrity of the structure already compromised by their battle. Escaping to the outside through the wall she broke on her way in, she looked over her shoulder to watch the building fold in on itself, Overload disappearing beneath the collapsed structure. "Suck on that!" she said, triumphantly.

Her claim to victory was premature, however, the sky above her suddenly plunging into darkness.

"What?" she said, looking up at the electrical storm that had appeared from nowhere. Stranger than its sudden appearance was the fact that the darkness seemed localised above her, blue skies visible further afield on all sides.

From the darkness, a bolt of lightning halved the sky, striking down upon the collapsed building in front of her.

"Oh, sh..."

Narrowly avoiding the monster's blast, the Pink Time Force Ranger had little time to stop and consider her options as another lightning bolt struck the rejuvenated Overload, charging his cells to maximum again while he climbed out of the debris. Diving out of the way of yet another of his blasts, she watched helplessly as he was immediately recharged by another bolt of lightning – the storm providing him an endless and instantaneous supply of energy.

"Suck on this!" Overload said with a satisfied snort.

 _Time for you to burn!_

* * *

The Command Centre

-Control Room-

 _Something doesn't add up._

Billy watched the changing scenes in the viewing globe with a confused look on his face.

All thirty-eight nests had now awakened. What Billy couldn't understand was why only a handful of them had become hostile. Already stretched to the limit of their resources with the five hotspots they were attending to, it didn't make sense for Zedd and Rita not to launch the full scale assault of thousands of Tengas across all thirty-eight destinations, putting them in a predicament where they couldn't possibly attend to every situation that required their intervention.

So why weren't they pulling the trigger on it?

The image in the globe once again turned to that of Jen battling the Overload monster, a mystical storm having been incited by Zedd and Rita to constantly recharge the monster.

"She needs help," Tommy said concerned.

"She's fine," Alex said, repeating his earlier sentiment as he re-entered the control room carrying the equipment he had went to retrieve from the Time Shuttle. "Jennifer can take care of herself."

Frustrated by Alex's apparent disinterest in their plight, Billy took a deep breath. "Alpha, we need to establish what's keeping the other nests docile," he said.

"What if it is the wrong question you are asking, Billy?" Zordon bellowed, harkening back to earlier.

"The wrong question?" the former Blue Ranger replied. Twice in one day?

"You're operating under the pretence that the Tengas which remain in their nests are the ones behaving oddly due to your history with the species," Alex interjected. "You haven't considered asking the question the other way around."

"Why are the hostile Tengas being...hostile?" Rocky said with a confused look on his face.

"Have you analysed the behavioural patterns of the hostile Tengas?" Alex asked. "What is it that fuels their aggression?"

Watching the various battles between the Tengas and the Alien Rangers, Billy noted that the Tengas certainly seemed even more aggressive than usual. There was definitely something different in the way they fought, almost like...

"Desperation?" he said, not sounding completely confident in his answer.

"A very astute observation, Billy," Zordon acknowledged.

"Now," Alex continued, "what do the hostile nests have in common that none of the others do?"

"They were all directly approached by humans," Billy answered, already following that train of thought. "Alpha, can we look closer into the nests?"

"Configuring the viewing globe now," the droid answered.

Stepping forward for a better look, Billy watched as the images zoomed in further to reveal details that had previously went unnoticed.

"Are those eggs?" Aisha asked.

"Affirmative. NEW eggs," Billy answered, the unhatched eggs visible amidst the mud, twigs and leaves that one would expect to find in a bird nest, "and that's not all. Look."

"Growth bombs?" Katherine asked, eyes wide at the sight of the gleaming metallic orbs that Lord Zedd had so often used to transform his monsters into giants. "If Lord Zedd has given them growth bombs...then why haven't they used them?"

"Because it isn't only desperation that's driving them," Billy answered, "but fear. Alex, if you're finished with your analysis, we could really use your help putting a plan together."

"I finished analysing the data over fifty minutes ago," came the Time Force Commander's answer. "That isn't what I've been working on. Actually, I could use your technical expertise."

An intrigued look formed across the former Blue Ranger's face.

 _Okay, let's see what you have._

* * *

Reefside Warehouse District

 _Enough of this!_

Diving under yet another electrical blast, Jen slammed her fist off the ground in frustration. How much easier this battle would have been if the Electro Booster add-on hadn't been destroyed!

"What's the matter?" taunted Overload. "I thought you liked being in 'charge,' Pink Ranger?"

"Enough with the puns, already!" she yelled in response.

Overload's face radiating white again as it harnessed the lightning from the sky, Jen knew she had to act now. Her Chrono Sabre glowing pink with Morphin energy, Jen rushed towards her adversary. Her timing would need to be perfect. A fully powered blast firing straight at her, Jen intercepted the blast with her ionized blade as she flipped through the air and over the top of the monster, plunging her weapon into his back.

"What have you done!?" Overload screamed, the energy he discharged from his face being drawn over his head and fed back into him via the Chrono Sabre impaled within him.

"I've just trapped you in a perpetual loop," Jen answered, smugly. "The energy you discharge is being fed directly back into you, keeping you at max capacity. You're just a big ugly storage battery, right? Do you know what happens when you exceed your limit?" she asked, squeezing the trigger on her Chrono Blaster. "You overload, Overload."

The single shot from the blaster unwillingly absorbed by the monster, his already full power cells shattered as his energy intake was pushed past capacity. Unable to dispel even a small amount, Overload felt a burning sensation overtaking his entire body before the batteries on his shoulders burst in a massive electrical explosion.

Snatching her Chrono Sabre out of the air as it flew towards her, Jen turned around, keen to reconvene with Delphine who, she realised, had been left alone to deal with the super nest. Just then, she heard the sound of something moving behind her. Spinning back around, expecting to find that Overload had somehow survived, she was instead surprised to find somebody else.

"Where is he?" Goldar growled.

"Who? Overload?" Jen asked. "That cloud of smoke behind you would be the one you seek!"

"No, not him!" the armoured alien said. "Where is Djolnel?"

"Um, I'm afraid he wasn't invited on this trip. I can pass on a message, if you'd like?" she quipped, brandishing her Chrono Sabre in her hand.

"I'm not here to fight you!" Goldar said, placing his own sword down on the ground. He didn't have long. He was relying on both Zedd and Rita being too disgusted at Overload's defeat to be observing what was transpiring right now. But the window was small. "Tell me: what are the Sands?"

"The Sands?" Jen asked. "What's it got to do with you?"

Even with his alien features, Jen could see what she recognised as shame appearing across his face. "They are...inside me," he answered, quietly.

"They're what!?" she spat, not sure whether she had heard the golden warrior correctly.

"Djolnel released his Sands into my body," Goldar told her. "Tell me what purpose they serve!"

"He deployed the Sands inside you!?"

"What has he done to me?" the alien yelled.

"Honestly? I have no idea," Jen answered, "but, whatever it is, I doubt you'll be around to witness it."

"Arrrggghhh! You're useless!" Goldar roared, bursting into flames as he stabbed his sword into the ground, bursting into flames before disappearing into the wind.

Shaking her head, Jen picked up where she had left off, heading over to assist Delphine when she heard Alex's voice coming in through her Chrono Morpher.

"Alex?" she said, her Commander's image appearing in a holographic display as she answered his call.

"Congratulations on your victory," he said. "I was never in any doubt."

"There is no victory, yet," she insisted. "I'm heading back to help Delphine."

"You have a new objective," he responded, two beams of white light coming down from the sky right in front of her. "Billy has just teleported to you the means of ending the Tenga threat."

 _It's time to send them home._

* * *

 **Honolulu, Hawaii**

 _That's the last of them._

As the last lot of the birds approached the gateway, Jen breathed a sigh of relief. It had taken her several hours to get the job done but, finally, it was finished.

The Pink Time Force Ranger could barely believe that what had once seemed like insurmountable odds could be settled without the need for more conflict.

Lord Zedd thought that, by letting the Tengas loose on Earth to multiply, he was giving himself a constantly growing army but, instead, he had given the Tengas a choice. Opting to prioritise their own procreation, they had discarded Zedd's growth bombs and, thus, their allegiance.

Their race was scattered across the galaxies in small groups, bound to serve one master or another, but this had given them the opportunity to rebuild and restructure their race.

The only problem was, of course, that a peaceful coexistence with humankind just wasn't a possibility. However, there was a world out there upon which the Tenga race could prosper: Teng.

Or, more accurately, the planet that would one day come to be known as Teng. Right now, at this point in history, the planet was an unnamed and largely unpopulated rock floating in space due to the tough conditions upon its surface. The Tenga race, however, could thrive where many others could not.

As Alex well knew.

Of course, Alex also knew something else that he had not made Zordon and the Rangers privy to, which is why she had chosen to supervise the relocation alone.

Gaining the trust of each nest had been a risky venture, especially the nests that they had already come into conflict with – forcing her to demorph whilst in their territory in order to prove she wanted to end hostilities – but once the lines of communication were opened, it had all been fairly clear sailing, only a few of the creatures choosing to remain loyal to Lord Zedd.

The rods that Billy had sent to her apparently operated in a similar way to an old invention of his that the Rangers had used to create a passage between dimensions. These rods, however, were directly linked to the positioner in the Command Centre's teleportation mainframe, opening between them a teleportation channel directly to the new world.

With the last Tenga passing between the rods, Jen pressed a button on the controller to deactivate the devices. Gathering the equipment, she felt greatly conflicted on what had just transpired – happy, of course, that the threat had been overcome, but the cost of this act was a heavy burden that she and Alex would now need to bear.

"This is Jen," she said, speaking into the communication device that Billy had sent to her alongside the rods. "This planet is now a Tenga-free zone." Over the frequency, she could hear the smacking sound of high fives being dished out by her cheering allies.

"Thanks, Jen," Billy said. "We've been watching in the viewing globe and you did great. You didn't have to do it alone, though."

Jen sighed. "Yes, I did."

"Are you coming back to say goodbye?" Aisha yelled.

"I can't. I'm sorry. Alex is waiting on me," she replied, partially in truth and partially as an excuse, the goodbyes becoming more and more difficult every time.

"Probably just as well," she heard Adam saying. "We've got to get home – our parents are going to kill us!"

"I'll teleport the equipment back to the Command Centre," Billy confirmed. "Alex has already taken the Time Shuttle out into the desert, so I'll teleport you to him, as well."

"Thank you, Billy."

"It was a pleasure fighting by your side," Delphine said.

"You are indeed a mighty hero," Aurico added.

"You guys are the heroes," Jen said, modestly. "ALL of you."

"We were lucky to have you by our side in our time of need," Zordon boomed through the communicator. "May your journey home be safe and the information you gathered here be of great use to you."

"Thank you, Zordon. Hey, Billy," she said, "I know you'll figure this thing out. Remember, don't give up hope."

"I won't," he confirmed, smiling. As frustrated as he had been earlier with Alex's attitude, the Time Force Commander had been instrumental in saving the day and, not only that, had helped him finally get out of his slump. He was full of new ideas and more motivated than ever to get to work on solving the situation on Earth. "I'll transport you to Alex's location momentarily. He's not really the type for goodbyes, is he?"

"Alex? Are you kidding?" she responded. "I don't know if any of you have noticed but he's kind of an asshole!" she chuckled.

 _What am I saying? How could you not notice?_

* * *

Californian Desert

-Secluded Location-

 _And there she is._

"Officer Scotts," Alex smirked as Jen materialised from the shower of sparks pouring from the sky.

"Cut the crap, Alex," she said, seriously. "What we did today..."

"Was setting history on the correct course," he interrupted.

"In the 25th century, Teng is victim to a massive ecological disaster," she said. "We just sent an entire species to the place of their extinction!"

"As it is meant to happen," he answered with his head down. "You know it wasn't an easy decision."

"I know," she said with a lump in her throat. "So, are we ready to head home?"

"In a moment," he replied. "First, I thought we might discuss the proverbial 'elephant in the room' that both of us seem so intent on ignoring."

"Um...okay?" Jen said after a brief pause, not at all sure what he was referring to.

"We have something of a...complicated history," he began, "made even more complicated by the fact that our job forces us to cross paths on a frequent basis. I just want you to know that I understand."

"Alex, where are you going with..."

"I understand how, when we were together, it was so easy for you to fall for Wes," he said. "He looked just like me but he brought to the table all of the things that I didn't. He was reckless and impulsive. A smooth talker with a devilish charm. The 'bad boy.' I understand."

"Alex," Jen said through clenched teeth. "I think it would be wise for you to stop talking right NOW."

"No, Jennifer, don't you see? We don't need to keep this quiet anymore. We don't need to keep this trapped inside!" he continued, apparently ignorant to the growing rage inside the girl before him. "This mission has shown me how much you've grown in the last five years – how much you've outgrown Wesley. You don't need the 'bad boy' anymore. You've matured and, accordingly, you need someone mature to share your life with. Jennifer, I want you to know that I'm willing to take you back."

Her entire body shaking, the veins on Jen's head looked like they were going to explode as she erupted in a terrifying rage. "Are you freaking kidding me!?" she screamed.

Her hands rigid, she paced back and forth so hard that she was in danger of digging a trench in the ground. "You're WILLING to take me back!? WILLING!? You're disgusting! I don't know what I EVER saw in you! I would NEVER go back to you. You're not even HALF the man that Wes is! THAT, is the 'elephant in the room,' Alex!" she spat, growing more and more annoyed by the fact that his facial expression hadn't changed throughout her entire blowout.

"You know what?" she continued o rant. "There was a time, not too long ago, before I was reunited with Wes, where I was AFRAID to look at you in case I saw him. In case it BROKE me! But I know now how ridiculous that was because, when I look at you, I don't see Wes's face or Wes's eyes – I don't see him at all! You don't even remind me of him! You know why? Because you're nothing like him."

There was silence for a few moments as Jen felt somehow liberated by what she had just said and, then, Alex finally responded.

"Good. I'm glad we were able to clear the air," he said, with a hint of amusement on his face.

"What?" Her mouth hung open as she tried to processed what he had just said.

"I see the way you look at Wesley. It's the way you USED to look at me," Alex replied. "It's the same way he looks back at you. I think back to our time together and I realise that I didn't ever see you the way he does," he said, almost regretfully.

"So all of that was...everything you said was...it was all just bullshit to...what?" she asked.

"There WAS an 'elephant in the room,' Jen," he said. "That part wasn't 'bullshit.' I'm not an easy person to read, I know that. It's how I protect myself. It makes me feel secure when nobody can really tell what I'm thinking. Unfortunately, it meant that you never got the proper closure on the change in our relationship and I am sorry about that. You've had five years of feelings and emotions building up inside of you and I didn't want to leave things like that between us before we part ways."

"Part ways? What the hell is going on!?" Jen asked, feeling like she had missed an important part of the conversation.

"Here," he said, handing her his data pin. "The information I gathered on the anomaly is too complex for me to make a proper analysis from here. You need to take this to the Lemniscate Building and find a person called Cyfer. DON'T give it to anybody else."

"You...you're not coming back," Jen said in realisation. "You never were."

A half smile appeared on Alex's face. "Somebody has to stay. We don't know yet whether or not the info I compiled gives us anything we can use against Djolnel. All we know is that this anomaly allows us to exploit the only crack in his plan. By staying here, I can infiltrate that which we can't otherwise reach."

"A Time Force Commander can't just disappear, Alex!" Jen protested. "If I stay, I can..."

"The Power Rangers need to be at full strength. This is how things need to be," he told her. "You're in command in my absence."

Jen stared into his eyes for a moment, half expecting him to retract the statement.

But he didn't.

"I can't just waltz into Epsilon and take the chair, Alex! It doesn't work like that!" she argued. "If you don't come back, Command falls to the next in line."

"Nobody at base can take this where it needs to go. Except for you. You're the only one I trust. You'll figure out a way to make it work."

"Alex," she pleaded, "you can't stay here. This anomaly doesn't last much longer. There's no telling what might happen to you if you're inside it when it lifts."

"I'll contact you," he promised. "I'll be using a special channel that will remain undetectable and untraceable by Time Force. I hacked the coms system in your Chrono Morpher while it was in my possession. You'll be the only one who can receive my transmission."

"For god's sake, Alex, you can't just throw something like this together and call it a plan! We need to..."

"I've given it a lot of thought, Jen," he told her. "Believe me, I wouldn't be doing this if I saw any other way. Epsilon is yours."

 _I know you won't let me down._

* * *

 **eteamuppowerrangerstimeforceteamuppo**

 **Millennium City (3005 AD)**

Epsilon Facility

-Launch Bay-

 _0.9 seconds._

That was how long she had been gone. It was against Time Force regulations but it seemed like regulations were meant for being broken these days.

Normally, the quantum chronometer kept a Time Force officer's time in the past in sync with the natural progression of time from the point of origin. This mission, however, was off the books and that meant that she had to be back before anybody could realise that she was gone.

Everything was different now. The path forward perhaps even more uncertain than before. Yet, what she had just went through – what she had just endured – had reminded her of exactly what she could accomplish. It had left her optimistic of what she could achieve and infused her with a newfound sense of something she hadn't felt in all too long...

 _Hope._

 **werrangerstimeforceteamuppowerrangers**

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 **Yay!**

 **Note: I know Lt. Stone was turned into a child on screen in 'Rangers in Reverse' but that didn't really make a whole lot of sense (a lot like much of the Alien Rangers saga) so I changed it so that he reverted in age by the same amount as the Rangers. Makes slightly more sense, maybe? Anywho...**

 **Next chapter – 1996(II): "The Age of Machines"**


	5. 1996(II)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable characters, places, names etc. in this non profit fanfiction.

Rated T as chapters contain violence and occasional mild bad language.

* * *

 **Power Rangers: Time Force Team-up**

 **Chapter 1996(II): "The Age of Machines"**

 **Part 1**

 **Angel Grove, California**

Angel Grove Park

 _Who does he think he is!?_

The heir to the throne? Then where had he been all these years? Galavanting across space with Archerina, disgracing the Royal House of Gadgetry? NOW he just waltzes back in, proclaiming himself the 'King of Machines' and, even worse than that, thinking he can just boss him around like some dumb kid!

He, Sprocket, son of King Mondo and the TRUE heir to the throne, forced to stand and watch his brother implementing his 'grand plan' as though he were just another cog in the machine!

Highly dependent was this plan on the large mining device currently being prepped to burrow its way down into the planet. Dubbed the 'Earth-Breaker,' the multi-tipped drilling machine was equipped to emit a seismic shock wave which, if unleashed once it reached the Earth's mantle, was capable of creating an earthquake on a magnitude never before seen on the planet – Angel Grove and much of the rest of California would be completely destroyed, the signal blockers positioned around the area keeping the entire operation concealed from detection by Zordon's scanners.

It wasn't a bad plan, to be fair, except that the signal blockers were almost for naught when such an operation was being conducted right on the Power Rangers' doorstep!

Prince Gasket knew all of this, of course, well aware that his business was all but guaranteed to attract the attention of his enemies, however, there was no better way to fortify his claim as the true successor to the crown than defeating the fleshlings who had deposed his father on their own home turf!

"Hold it right there!"

Turning around, the robot knew exactly to whom the voice belonged.

"We're shutting you down, Gasket!" Tommy Oliver declared, standing front and centre of the Zeo Rangers. "Time for you to go back to where you came from!"

"How dare you!" his bride, Archerina, screeched. "I'll kill each and every one of you for your insolence here today!"

"Big talk. Better be ready to back it up, robo-bitch!" Tanya yelled, further enticing the pair.

"Nobody speaks like that to the future Queen of Machines!" roared an outraged Gasket. "Cogs! Attack!" On his command, dozens of the mechanical foot soldiers dropped from portals in the air and charged alongside their masters at the Zeo Ranger team.

"If I may, Sire, I believe it might be time to vacate the premises," Klank advised the young Prince Sprocket, his constant companion, Orbus, perched on his shoulder and equally eager to leave.

Sprocket huffed at the henchman's suggestion in a show of false bravado before a defeated Cog landing at his feet prompted him to flee back to the Machine Moon Base. With any luck, he thought, neither the Rangers NOR his misbegotten brother would walk away from this battle!

Sparks flew as the Red Zeo Ranger's Power Sword scraped across Gasket's own blade, the two adversaries matching one another strike for strike. Somersaulting overhead, the Gold Ranger landed by his friend's side with his Golden Power Staff in hand. No need for words, the duo engaged their enemy in a show of teamwork that few could contend with. Unfortunately, Gasket was one of the few – anticipating and countering their attack with an accuracy that only a Machine could achieve.

Suddenly, a strange yet somehow familiar sensation fell over Tommy, throwing him off his game enough for one of Gasket's sword swipes to get through.

"Tommy!" Jason yelled, running to his aid. "You okay, bro?"

"Yeah," he replied, clutching at the shoulder that had absorbed the strike. "It's just...do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" the Gold Ranger asked, confused.

"I'm not sure," he answered. "It's like the air is...vibrating?"

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

The sound of his wrist communicator put a temporary halt to his pondering. "I'm here, go ahead," he said into the device.

"-ommy-kkkkkrrrrrrrt-pare yo- kkkkkkrrrrrrrrrttttttt-ime an-kkkrrrrttttt"

"Billy?" Tommy couldn't make out a word over the call. "Gasket's signal blockers must be interfering with the transmission. We gotta take 'em out!" he concluded.

"We don't know where the hell they are!" Jason replied, ducking out of the way as Gasket lunged in once again with his sword.

* * *

The Cog's chest caved in as it was sandwiched between two flying kicks from the Green and Blue Zeo Rangers, its eyes flickering as most of its main operating systems shut down and it crumpled to its knees.

"You want high or low?" Adam asked as several more of the mechanical soldiers encroached on their position.

"I'll go high!" Rocky stated, leaping into the air with a spinning kick whilst Adam dropped down with a spinning leg sweep that sent the first of the Cogs flipping off its feet. Their next opponent inbound, Rocky now dropped down to attack the legs as Adam jumped up to attack the head – one after another, the robots were taken down by the pair, unable to evade their dual-levelled attack.

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

"This is Adam, I read you," the Green Ranger answered into the device.

"Ada-kkkkrrrrrrrttttttttt-ou have to be read-kkkrrrrrrrtttttttzzzzzz"

"Uh, did you get any of that?" he asked as the transmission stopped, the Blue Ranger shaking his head in response.

* * *

Diving out of the way of Archerina's energy arrows, Tanya was knocked to the ground when the robotic Princess charged forward aggressively.

"You will NEVER speak to me with such indignity again, human!" the fearsome robot screamed. "To be certain of it, I shall remove your mandible from the rest of your skull!"

Momentarily stunned by a laser blast in her face, Archerina turned to see the Pink Zeo Ranger's Power Disc cutting through the air straight towards her, barely enough time for her to lift her bow in time to deflect the weapon.

"Forget about me?" Katherine mocked as she cartwheeled into position by Tanya's side, reclaiming her weapon as she did.

Letting loose another furious scream, Archerina fired off a barrage of energy arrows, all of which were absorbed by Katherine's Power Disc.

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

"This isn't a good time, Billy!" Tanya said, answering the communicator.

"-kkkkkkrrrrrtt-ecting an inc-kkkkkkkkkkrrrrrrrrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

"What? Could you say that again?" the Yellow Ranger asked before contact was lost completely.

* * *

"You putrid Rangers have gotten in my way for the last time!" Gasket shouted as Tommy and Jason climbed back to their feet.

"Man, this guy is tough," the Gold Ranger grumbled, readying for another attack.

"Jase, don't you feel that?" the Red Ranger responded, the odd feeling he had been experiencing evolving into a loud buzzing inside his head. "Something's wrong."

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

"Jason here," The Gold Ranger said, lifting his wrist to his mouth, greeted by the same disrupted transmission that had plagued each of Billy's other attempts to contact them, only, this time, a single recognisable word made it through.

"kkkkrrrttttt-Djolnel-kkkkkkrrrrrrrttzzzzz"

"Wait, what?" Jason choked, hoping he hadn't just heard what he thought he had.

"Oh no," Tommy muttered, suddenly all too aware of what it was he had been feeling.

From the other side of the lake, a brilliant white light appeared from nowhere, bringing the action to a stop as the Rangers shielded their eyes and the machines looked on with a puzzled curiosity.

A thunder-like crash signifying the closing of the vortex, Tommy knew even before he opened his eyes the identity of the dark figure left in its stead and, even after three previous encounters, the pounding in his chest betrayed his attempts to deny to himself his fear.

"Oh, man," Rocky commented, he and the other Rangers regrouping alongside Tommy and Jason.

"Is that..." Tanya began to ask.

"Yeah," the Red Ranger replied, no need to hear the end of the question.

"The monster from..." Katherine started.

"Yup," Jason responded.

"What do we do?" Adam asked.

"We're not finished here, Power Rangers!" Gasket yelled, pointing his sword at his enemies. The disruption across the water appeared to have been temporal in nature. He did not know the identity of the being who had emerged from the breach in time, nor why the Rangers appeared so spooked by his arrival, but he would not allow this or anything else to deny him his opportunity to cement his kingship.

"I'll hold off Djolnel!" Jason said, suddenly, rushing towards the water before he could even process the absurdity of what he had just said!

"Where is HE rushing off to?" Archerina questioned.

"Don't worry about HIM," Tommy said, authoritatively, "you just worry about US!"

"Silence, miscreant!" Gasket growled. "In the name of the Royal House of Gadgetry, I, Gasket, true King of Machines declare...are you even listening to me!?"

Paying little heed to his words, the Rangers prepared to receive the Zeo Cannon, the weapon appearing in their arms in a streak of light.

"You impudent fools can't expect that we'll just stand here and let you shoot us with..." The Prince stopped mid sentence as the Rangers turned the weapon away from he and his bride and towards the Earth-Breaker drill, the Red Ranger loading the last power cell into the cannon before giving the order.

Unable to do anything but stand and watch, Gasket roared as the powerful ball of energy tore straight through his creation, causing massive damage and rendering the device inoperable.

"That is ENOUGH! You Rangers have earned the full wrath of...where are you going!?" he screamed, the five Rangers following in the footsteps of their golden comrade and making their way across the lake. He had no idea what was going on but, inexplicably, he been relegated to the sidelines like some...some...lowly commoner! Prince Gasket was literally about to blow a gasket.

* * *

His back to the lake, Djolnel stood up from his crouched position with a smirk on his face. This park was beginning to feel like old stomping grounds. The palm of his hand splitting open, the hourglass shaped container holding the radiant blue Sands of Time pushed its way through the orifice. He would need to act swiftly – deploying the Sands immediately was the only way to ensure...

Tackled from behind by an unknown assailant, the hourglass escaped his grasp, rolling to a stop several meters away. But who..?

"Not this time!" his attacker declared.

Looking upon the Ranger, draped in golden armour, who stood before him, Djolnel's cold eyes narrowed into slits. That voice! "You. I know you."

The Gold Ranger sprinting straight towards him, wielding the Golden Power Staff of Triforia in his hand, Djolnel barked in frustration. He didn't have time for this! Time Force would undoubtedly be here any moment. Sidestepping his opponent's charge, he tensed his body for a second before a dozen tentacles erupted from his torso.

"Lest I forget," Jason said quietly to himself, no fond memories of his last experience with the monster's extra appendages. Thankfully, he wouldn't need to fight this battle alone.

"Careful, guys!" he warned as the rest of the Zeo Rangers formed on his location, his words addressed to those among them who hadn't before faced the monster in combat. "You've never come up against anything like this before!"

"Not to worry," Tommy said with an unexpected assuredness in his voice. "I think backup is here!"

Before anyone could ask what he meant, a second time vortex temporarily robbed them all of sight once again. When they opened their eyes this time, however, there was far less cause for concern.

Feeling the solid ground beneath her feet as the vortex closed behind her, the last thing Jen expected to see was Djolnel already engaged in combat with a team of Power Rangers. This had been their fastest response yet – how could things have progressed so rapidly!?

"Looks like this party started without us," Eric acknowledged before he noticed the garb of the Red Zeo Ranger. "Hey, that's..."

"Tommy!" Wes finished for him.

"Not a moment too late, guys!" the leader of the Zeo Rangers hollered towards them.

Events were transpiring too fast to process right now but one thing that Jen knew for certain was that Djolnel, the monster they had pursued across time and space for longer than she cared to think about, was right where they wanted him and, by the look of the glowing hourglass lying by the water, he had not yet been able to release the Sands of Time.

"Jen!" Jason yelled. "I think you know what time it is!"

Questions could be asked later. "Time for Time Force!" she shouted.

"Quantum Power!" Eric yelled into his Quantum Morpher.

Twelve Rangers forming a perimeter around him, Djolnel unleashed a barrage of tentacles in all directions, his multi-coloured opponents flipping and diving over and between his attacking limbs.

A hard punch colliding with his jaw, Jason was sent soaring into the lake for his trouble. A solid front kick saw the Blue Zeo Ranger join his golden companion, but not before his dual Power Axes sunk into the monster's chest – first blood drawn! Somersaulting through the air, Lucas connected with a dropkick before being tossed out of the way, creating an opening for several of the Rangers to blast him with their sidearm weapons. Fighting fire with fire, a number of long spikes separated from his body like explosive shrapnel, forcing the Rangers to scatter.

Swatted to the side unceremoniously by the thick black tendrils, Eric punched the ground in frustration. "I'm already bored of this!" he proclaimed, drawing the Quantum Defender from its holster. "Freeze Strike Mode!" he commanded into the Quantum Morpher on his wrist, the blaster converting into a sword embezzled in an ice blue aura.

Sprinting straight towards his enemy, Eric waited for the right moment, leaving the ground and corkscrewing through the air, the touch of his weapon freezing the tentacles that rushed to meet him, the ice spreading across their length back towards the source, forcing Djolnel to break them off before the contamination could reach his body.

Momentarily vulnerable, an opportunistic Jen found her mark with her Chrono Sabres, the pink-hot blades searing into Djolnel's black flesh.

Tumbling to the ground, he clutched at his burning chest – yet more scars he would wear from his battles across time. Stumbling back to an upright position as the Rangers amassed before him, Djolnel scanned the area around him. Deploying the Sands remained his primary objective. Locating the hourglass lying several meters away, a lone tendril grew out from his leg, creeping along the grass in order to claim the object until the Pink Zeo Ranger's Power Disc stuck into the ground, severing the appendage before the hourglass could be retrieved.

One by one, the Rangers reigned down upon their enemy – hacking and slashing him with their weapons – the final blow dealt by the Red Zeo Ranger, his Power Sword impaling the monster's already wounded body and bringing him to his knees.

Knowing full well the importance of each second, Jen wasted no time. With Katie restraining him, the Pink Time Force Ranger snapped the energy bracelets upon his wrists, their nullifying capabilities rendering him powerless. Djolnel was their prisoner.

Their enemy helpless, Katie turned towards her leader, expecting some sort of celebratory embrace, but Jen wasn't finished. From inside her glove she produced a D-5 spike which she plunged directly into the back of Djolnel's head – his back arching immediately as the inhibitor took effect, a silent scream passing his lips before he collapsed in a heap on the grass.

Stunned at what she had just witnessed, the Yellow Time Force Ranger looked to her teammates, able to tell even through their helmets that they wore similar expressions on their faces.

"Did we just...win?" Rocky asked, unsure of exactly what he had just transpired. This may officially have been his first fight against Djolnel but he was familiar with the details of his friends' previous encounters with the villain and he knew that, if this was a win, then it was a BIG win.

"Let's take him in," Jen ordered, ignoring the feeling of Katie's eyes burning a hole through her. Their issue would be dealt with at a later time.

"Alright!" said Jason, embracing the Red Time Force Ranger with a high five as Katie flung the limp body of their enemy over her shoulder.

Approaching the Zeo Rangers, Jen squinted behind her visor. "It IS you, Tommy."

"The one and only," came the Red Ranger's reply, understanding that the new colour scheme was bound to have caused confusion.

"And...Jason?" she said, only fairly certain of the face behind the helmet of this Gold Ranger.

"It's good to see you, again," the former Red Mighty Morphin Ranger replied, handing her the hourglass containing the Sands.

"Thank you," she said, taking the object in her hands, unsure of exactly how to react as it began to sink in that, FINALLY, it was over: Djolnel was in their custody. "All of you, just...thank you!" She didn't know what else to say. "Not just for today but for both other times we dropped this on your laps."

"Wait, BOTH other times?" Tommy asked, confused. By his count, this was the FOURTH time that the two teams had rallied together against Djolnel and the fifth that they'd met Jen overall. He suddenly got the feeling that things were about to get complicated when, before he could even attempt to work out the time travel math, the sky began to rain down fire, the unsuspecting Rangers succumbing to its fury. Writhing on the ground, Tommy saw the Quadrafighters responsible flying overhead.

"You shall pay dearly for your insolence here today," Prince Gasket declared, incensed that he had seemingly been dismissed as a secondary concern! He did not know where in time this being or these other Power Rangers had come from but he would not be denied on this day! Double the Rangers meant double the prize; all twelve would die by his hand. "In the name of the Royal House of Gadgetry, I, Gasket, true King of Machines, declare..."

"Oh, no!" Katie cried, once again interrupting the robot Prince before he could finish talking.

Lying on the grass seizuring and convulsing, Djolnel's body was in a state of flux – spikes and tentacles forming and deforming randomly and uncontrollably. The D-5 inhibitor damaged in the Quadrafighter attack, his senses flowed back into his body all at once – completely overwhelming him! The blades of grass beneath him were like knives pressing against his skin; the light of day like flash burns to his eyes; the smell of the lake was like barbed wire being dragged out through his nostrils; individual sounds unidentifiable in the unbearable cacophony between his ears; the taste of his own blood like molten metal on his tongue.

The Rangers could only watch on in horror as the energy bracelets shattered – pushed beyond their limits – before a cyclone of black tentacles burst from his body.

"Quickly, we have to..." Jen began to say before Djolnel unleashed a primal roar, the red accents on his body glowing and pulsating. A strong sense of unrest spreading over them like a virus, the Power Rangers cowered like scared children – unnerved and confused – as tentacles wrapped around their bodies, lifting them into the air and slamming them off of the ground over and over again.

"Stop all of this!" Prince Gasket demanded. "The Rangers are MY prize! Stand down, monster, or you too shall face the wr..." The slim black spikes fired past him like missiles, easily tearing through the chests of any Cogs they came into contact with. Irate at the audacity off this unknown lifeform, Gasket momentarily forgot all about the Power Rangers, his focus solely upon this creature who dared oppose him.

Severed tentacles and mechanical limbs filled the sky as Djolnel clashed with the Machine Empire while the Rangers recovered on the ground.

No idea what it was that had just come over her, Jen pulled herself to her feet using a park bench as a crutch. Her body aching, she scanned the ground frantically. Where was it? It had been in her hands mere moments ago...there! The hourglass containing the Sands, rolling around under the feet of her battling enemies.

Staggering, she felt her legs buckle and she collapsed back to the ground – too weak to even walk so soon after what had just occurred. Determined to obtain the hourglass, she dragged herself across the grass by her fingertips, robotic feet stomping all around her as she reached out towards the Sands, only to see her hand begin to ignite.

"No! Not now!" she cried, pulling herself faster towards the object, her effort in vain as her entire body burst into sparks and she was pulled upwards into the sky.

 _I was so close..._

* * *

 **Secret Location, California**

The Power Chamber

-Command Deck-

 _I almost had it!_

Throwing her head backwards, the Pink Time Force Ranger cursed under her breath.

"Welcome, once again, Time Force Power Rangers," Zordon bellowed from his energy tube. "I can only hope that none of you are seriously hurt following the battle in the park."

"We're...I think we're okay, Zordon," Katie replied, looking around to check on her comrades. "At least, we're all in one piece."

Looking around, Eric Myers marvelled at his new surroundings. How the hell did he get here? Where was here? And, maybe his head was still spinning but...that WAS the Wizard of Oz up there, right!?

"What were you thinking!?" the Red Time Force Ranger barked, pulling his helmet off to confront Jen. "Crawling around like that underneath them? What if..."

"That was the best shot we've had to get our hands on a canister BEFORE the Sands have been released!" she snapped back. "We could have finally figured out what the hell they actually are!"

"Not at the risk of your life!" he argued back. "What would we do without..."

"We're Power Rangers! We risk our lives EVERY time we..."

"That doesn't mean you have to invite..."

"Guys! Cool it," Tommy interrupted before the situation could become anymore heated. "We're all okay – that's what's most important, yeah?"

"Alpha and I were only able to get around Gasket's signal blockers briefly," Billy explained. "What we saw in those few seconds on the viewing globe, we didn't see any alternative other than to pull you out," he said, almost apologetically.

"Hey, it's okay," Jason told him, still hurting from the encounter. "None of us were in any condition to fight."

"What the heck was that back there, anyway?" Katherine asked, still holding her shoulder.

"Yeah!" Rocky added. "One second I was fine, the next..."

"We were under some kind of psionic attack," Trip said, realising what had happened to them. "A psychic suggestion of fear and unrest."

"Like a full-blown anxiety attack," Jason added, describing it as best he could.

"He can do that!?" Tanya asked. She may have been fortunate enough to have never had to face off against the monster before but that lack of experience had her feeling completely lost right now.

"Not previously," Lucas answered.

"Prince Gasket's signal blockers are no longer interfering with the Power Chamber's telemetry," Alpha 5 announced. "Incoming visual of Angel Grove Park."

"Zoom in," Jen requested as the Rangers crowded around the viewing globe, her heart sinking at the sight of the uninhabited park. "Check the ground for the canister," she requested.

It took only a few seconds for the viewing globe to locate the hourglass lying idle on the grass, no longer exhibiting its radiant blue glow. The Sands of Time had already been deployed.

"And it starts all over again..." she muttered.

"The Machines have retreated back to the moon," Alpha confirmed, "and Djolnel..."

"Is in the wind," Katie sighed.

"The scanners can't locate him?" Tanya asked, still catching up.

"He's undetectable to every tracking method at the Power Chamber's disposal," Billy answered. "I'll begin to monitor local airwaves and news feeds for any reported sightings. That method turned out to be surprisingly effective before."

"Sometimes the old ways are the best ways," Jason commented.

Standing silently with his back to the wall, the Quantum Ranger stood and observed the room, feeling completely out of place. He couldn't believe how easily everyone just...adapted to what was going on. All of this was still crazy to him – it was one thing to know that all of this time travel stuff was going on, it was another thing completely to be living it!

He remembered seeing these Rangers on the news years before – the first NEW Power Rangers team, those that replaced the originals. Or, as seemed to be the case, just the originals in a different getup. Maybe. He wasn't even sure. The fact was that the only familiar faces amongst these Zeo Rangers belonged to Tommy and Jason, the two men who led a team of ten Red Rangers on a mission into outer space.

Or, rather, the two men who WOULD lead a team of ten Red Rangers on a mission into outer space, six years from now. At this point in time, they hadn't even met him. None of them knew who he was and he didn't know any of the rest from Adam.

"Hey, Eric, you okay?" Adam asked, noticing the Ranger's stiff composure.

Startled, the Quantum Ranger instinctively adopted an offensive stance. "How do you know my name?"

"Eric?" the Blue Zeo Ranger interjected. "It's us, man."

"I don't know you!" His response was unintentionally aggressive, born of his current uneasiness as well as the lingering effects of Djolnel's psionic attack.

"Hey! Calm down!" the Red Time Force Ranger instructed, holding his arm out across his teammate's chest. Eric's overly defensive reaction wasn't necessarily out of character, yet he neither could explain how any of the Zeo Rangers could call his friend by name. NONE of them could have known who Eric was.

"Listen to Alex," Tommy said, "we've been in this situation bef..."

"Hold up. Did you just call me...Alex?" the Red Time Force Ranger asked, confusion written across his face. "It's Wes!"

"Man, do you guys do that on purpose?" Tommy sighed.

"Why would you even call me that in the first place?" he asked, unable to hide his irritation – he did NOT like being confused for Alex Drake. "There's only ONE Red Ranger on this team and that's ME. Well, and him," he added pointing to the Quantum Ranger, "but you know what I mean!" How did they even know about Alex, anyway!?

"Huh," Billy said quietly to himself. That was it. As quick as that. The conversation in his future that Wes, last year, had accidentally told him would occur – the one that had kept him awake at nights wondering – all over in a few short seconds. Still, Billy couldn't help but feel a weight lifted off of his shoulders, as if his...destiny were fulfilled? That seemed a touch over dramatic given the circumstances and, yet, be couldn't have described it any other way.

Of course, this all meant something more important: the Time Force team that had arrived here today had come from BEFORE the team they had met in their previous encounter.

"Um, guys?" he said, directing his words at all of the Rangers in the room. "I think we might have some time travel stuff to work out?"

"Agreed," sighed Jen.

"Alpha will escort you to the Zeo Zord Holding Bay," Zordon instructed. "From there, you will be able to discuss amongst yourselves the situation we once again find ourselves in and decide on the best way to proceed."

Jen bowed her head in a sign of acknowledgment and gratitude before she and her team followed Alpha through the doorway.

"This way, dudes and dudettes," the droid chirped as the doors closed behind him and the time traveling Rangers.

"What is going on!?" Rocky cried, arms out to his sides.

"They don't know us?" Adam asked, also completely lost just now.

Tommy, Jason and Billy exchanged glances, knowing all too well the headache that was in store for all of them.

"We've got a lot to talk about, guys," Tommy said, eventually.

 _We'd better get started..._

 **End of Part 1**

* * *

 **Part 2**

 **Earth's Moon**

Machine Moon Base

 _This WILL NOT stand!_

Pacing back and forth across the background of outer space, Prince Gasket's anger was growing by the microsecond.

"I had them! My Earth-Breaker was about to demolish their city, the Rangers dead to rights and the Golden Power Staff within my grasp before those time-misplaced miscreants stopped me from seizing my victory!"

"That's not what I saw," Sprocket retorted, somewhat enjoying his older brother's failure.

"Silence, bucket!" Gasket shouted, bending down so as to be right in the smaller robot's face.

"Gasket, please," his mother, Queen Machina, pleaded, "you NEED to calm down. You have your father's temper and you know what happened to him!"

"How can I calm down!?" he roared in response, his Cog army near decimated by the unknown creature, leaving him no other option but to flee from the battle.

"Your mother is right," Archerina said. "This is but a minor setback. Earth's Power Rangers shall still die by your hand and you WILL ascend to take your place as King of..."

"King?" a voice questioned from the hallway, all those present lost for words as a figure stepped out of the darkness and was revealed by the light. "You stand in the presence of only ONE King, this day..."

"Fa...father?" Archerina whimpered after a few moments of silence, unsure whether she should take an offensive stance or get down on one knee.

"Aradon!?" Queen Machina gasped.

"That's KING Aradon, Machina," the tall, slender robot said smugly.

"What are you...Why are you here, father?" Archerina questioned.

"Word has spread through the cosmos," he replied. "Mondo has fallen, his House in disarray. I came here to offer you my...assistance."

"Assistance!? You came here to claim this House for yourself!" Gasket accused, his wife tugging on his arm to stop him from getting too close to her father.

Aradon shrugged. "Such a move would only make sense," he chuckled, before his tone changed to one of disgust, "especially upon hearing that a pretender had so easily seized power after Mondo's fall."

Queen Machina turned away, the shame of her husband's defeat and the subsequent take over by the renegade outsider, Louie Kaboom, still hanging heavy over her.

"I planned to remove this false king from power – destroy him and ANY machine who had dared pledge to him allegiance – but then I heard something even MORE surprising: the outsider had already been overthrown...by YOU. The prodigal son, returned to claim his heritage and take his rightful place. It is considerably more than I would have expected."

Gasket balked at the backhanded compliment. The feud between his and Archerina's fathers was the stuff of legend within the ranks of the Machine Empire. In fact, their rivalry was the catalyst that originally divided the once united Empire into eight separate Houses – each one spreading out in a different direction across space, conquering galaxies and mining worlds of their resources, each with the intent of becoming the biggest and most powerful House in the divided Empire.

As the centuries passed, the Houses had slowly began to reunite, all of them reabsorbed by either King Mondo's Royal House of Gadgetry or King Aradon and the Royal House Binarius until only the two remained.

And yet, despite the imminent prospect of a truly reunited Machine Empire, the hatred between the two Kings prevailed – so much so that not even when he, first built son of Mondo, fell in love with Aradon's first built daughter was there any hope of unity.

The Prince and Princess were forced to elope – the only chance they had of being with one another – fleeing the rules of their tyrannical fathers and becoming outcasts of their own society. Together, they had lavished in their own reign of terror across the stars, always staying just far enough away that they would never attract the attention of the two gigantic armies of which they were once destined to lead.

"Of course, all of that was before I witnessed your retreat from battle," Aradon continued, "more reminiscent of a court jester than a King!"

"How dare you come into MY House and talk to me like some mere Cog!" an irate Gasket screamed.

"Are you denying that which I saw with my own eyes?" the robot quizzed, stroking his metal beard as he did so.

"The Rangers are the ones who fled!" the furious Prince argued. "My victory was in hand before the arrival of..."

"Excuses," Aradon said, turning away. "It matters not what were the terms – one cannot ascend to the throne when his most recent act was one of cowardice."

"Cowardice!?" Gasket screamed, steam spewing from his body.

"Please, my love, calm down," Archerina begged.

"It is most fortunate for you that I am not a petty King," the provocative Machine said. "If you can redeem yourself against your enemies, I will gladly delete the memories of your recent 'embarrassment' from my memory banks."

"I WILL destroy them!" the Prince shouted.

"And how are you going to do that?" Sprocket asked, hell bent on making things as difficult for his brother as possible. "The Rangers put a hole in your drill bigger than the one it could put in the ground and then that other guy wiped out almost all of your Cogs!"

"I told you to KEEP QUIET!" Gasket screamed, had his mother not placed her hand on his shoulder he may have obliterated his sibling right there and then.

"Father," Archerina said softly, "can you lend us any of your resources?" Sprocket may have been taunting his brother but his words were true. Even at full throttle, the manufacturing plant could produce no more than one full Cog per hour. If they were going to reclaim their honour in battle, they would need a more immediate solution.

In the darkness, King Aradon smirked – at least, as much as his metallic mouth could. Things were developing exactly as he had anticipated. "As always, I was accompanied on my travels by my Elite Guard. They are at your full disposal, should you require it."

"Thank you, father," Archerina said, staring at her husband in such a way as to encourage his silence.

As Aradon went to leave to make the preparations, he was stopped by the cries of the young Prince Sprocket.

"Wait, what about dad? Where does he fit into all..."

"Shhhhhh! Quiet, Sprocket!" his mother snapped.

"Oh, not to worry," Aradon chuckled, "I'm well aware of the mighty King Mondo's imminent reconstruction. I have no intention of preventing his return. After all, why wouldn't I want him to witness all that we had accomplished in his absence. We'll find a place for him in our new hierarchy, of course...there are always plenty of vacancies down in the mines with the rest of the obsolete!"

"Good heavens!" Machina gasped as the rival King laughed, heading back to his vessel.

"What are you doing?" Gasket asked as soon as Aradon was out of hearing range. "Your father isn't here to aid us – all he desires is to rule unopposed over the entire Empire!"

"Precisely, dearest husband," she replied. "And while he thinks that we are playing directly into his game, he will, instead, be playing directly into ours! Think of it: the Machine Empire truly united once more and the only Machine worthy of ruling over the most powerful army in the universe..."

He pondered for but a moment, not because he needed to consider what she was suggesting but because he wanted to envision that which she foretold.

"Klank, round up whatever Cogs we have left," he ordered. "Once I have disposed of those Power Wretches and taken the Earth, the House Binarius will have no choice but to concede that there is only one true King. I WILL unite the Empire and any Machine who refuses to bend the knee will be destroyed! So says Gasket, son of Mondo..."

 _...King of all Machines._

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Zeo Zord Holding Bay-

 _Oh, for the love of..._

"Yeah, yeah, I get it!" the Quantum Ranger grunted defensively, a little embarrassed at his inability to grasp the situation sooner. "These Power Rangers met our future selves in the past – it all makes so much damned sense now!"

"Are we all just going to ignore what this means?" Lucas asked, hesitantly.

Eric threw his arms up in the air. "What? What does it mean?"

"It means we fail to stop Djolnel today," Trip answered. "It's the only reason we would need to come back again."

"Stop right there," Eric interjected. "So you're telling me that, no matter what we do, that son-of-a-bitch is already guaranteed to get away!?"

"No, that's not how this is going to go down!" Wes declared, adamantly. "The future isn't set in stone – we know this! We know it can be changed! We each have the power to choose our own destiny. Right, Jen?"

"Right," the Pink Ranger replied somewhat passively. "I'm going to contact HQ, update them on our current situation."

Wes threw his arm around Eric's shoulders. "You'll catch up with all this time travel stuff one day, my little Quantum rookie," he teased to his friend's annoyance as the group broke, leaving Jen and Katie alone.

"So are we going to have a thing?" Jen asked. Originally intending to ignore the situation until after their mission had concluded, her mood was currently overriding rational thought. "You've barely said a word since the fight. Normally, when you're not saying anything, it means that you REALLY want to say something."

The Yellow Ranger took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself but Jen's provocation had forced her tongue. "You used a D-5 inhibitor out there!"

"What does that matter?" came Jen's response.

"Oh, it matters," Katie answered. "The perp was already subdued! There was no need for you to..."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Jen growled through her teeth. "This isn't any ordinary perp – it's Djolnel, Katie! We have to be willing to do ANYTHING it takes to stop him. How many times has he slipped through our fingers? And look! He got away again, anyhow!"

"Then it wasn't necessary, was it?" her teammate countered. "The D-5 was decommissioned in 2997 – outlawed! It had barely been put into circulation when it was pulled from production. How did you even get hold of one?"

Jen didn't provide an answer.

"Is it...is it the same D-5 that Alex used on Ransik the very first time we all came back?" Katie enquired. "Did you...did you keep it?"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Jen yelled, no longer concerned whether or not the others would hear them arguing. "Of course I didn't keep it! What? You think I took it as a trophy? A momento? I took it out of storage."

"Jen," The Yellow Ranger began, "the D-5 deprives a victim of all of their senses – ripping them away all at once and leaving the mind trapped inside a lifeless husk. It was deemed to be the greatest form of psychological torture EVER conceived. And the removal of the inhibitor spike – the senses rushing back all at once – one of the most overwhelming and unbearable sensations the body can ever endure."

"I know what it does," Jen said coldly.

"But you STILL used it!"

"You know, I've really got to hand it to him," Jen laughed. "You spend so much time down in the cellblock with Steelix that he's actually managed to convince you that I'm the bad guy!"

Katie took a few moments to consider what her friend had just said. "Jen, I never told you this before but...I wanted to be you," she admitted. "You were my inspiration. Everything that I've achieved in Time Force has, in some part, been because of what YOU achieved, and that you did all of it without straying from your principles – without ever failing to uphold the ideals of what Time Force represents. The ultimate 'good guy.' But, Jen, if this is the way you're doing things now? If you're going to throw away everything that you stand for? Then I'm sorry, but you ARE the bad guy."

As the Yellow Ranger stormed off, Jen stared at the floor with her hands on her hips, silently cursing herself.

 _You just had to ask, didn't you?_

* * *

The Power Chamber 

-Command Deck-

 _Man, for the love of..._

"Okay, already, I get it!"

He didn't.

Rocky Desantos was no closer to being sure of what was happening than he was when explanations began. He understood the words that were being said but trying to process it in a way that made sense was a completely different thing.

"I think I understand why you were so reluctant to mix us up in this before," Adam acknowledged, feeling a tad remorseful over the way himself, Rocky and Aisha had responded last year when they were first introduced to the future Power Rangers.

Jason sat atop the control console, his fingers pressed into his eyes, and exhaled a deep breath. Having been through this before, he knew exactly what it must be like for the Rangers who were experiencing it for the first time.

"So, the Time Force who are here today, are here BEFORE they come here...last year?" Katherine asked, somehow confusing herself more than she already was.

"Affirmative," Billy answered.

"When Djolnel was restrained, Jen said something about 'both' previous times that they'd dropped in on us," Tommy added. "By my count, that puts us two in front."

"But, wait..." Tanya interrupted, the wheels turning in her head. "If you guys already faced Djolnel last year, which is AFTER he came here today, then doesn't that mean..."

"Nothing we do matters," Adam surmised. "We already know that we don't stop him."

"We have to try, though...right?" Rocky asked, still not fully on board with everything that was going on.

"Tommy, Jason and Billy, you find yourselves in the face of a familiar conundrum," Zordon said. "As respected leaders in this team, it is up to the three of you to guide your teammates to a decision that offers the best course of action."

"Billy?" the Red Zeo Ranger said, giving the team genius the floor.

"I don't believe that doing nothing is an option," he said, without hesitation. "We need to deploy everything at our disposal in locating Djolnel and helping Time Force stop him for good. It's our responsibility, even if it means altering our own past."

A silence fell over the room as the Rangers each let the words sink in.

"Like we did before," Tommy suggested, putting his hand out into the centre of the group. "No half measures. All of us. All in."

"The future isn't written," Billy said, placing his hand on top of Tommy's. "Whatever happens, happens because of the decisions WE make today."

"This isn't a simple decision," Jason said. "We're talking about changing the past AND the future. The consequences of our actions cannot be taken lightly. That said..." He added his hand to the centre.

Katherine and Tanya looked to one another for reassurance, neither of the girls having even been Power Rangers during Djolnel's previous incursions. They both had lots of questions. Not in question, however, was they trust they had in their friends.

"All in," Katherine said, placing her hand on top of Billy's as Tanya's hand covered her own.

Placing his hand atop the pile, the corner of Adam's mouth curled into his trademark smile. "You know I'm in. Rocky?"

Stepping forward slowly, the Blue Zeo Ranger let out a long puff. "I'm with you, guys."

"Alright," Tommy said, nodding in acknowledgement at the bravery and commitment of his fellow Rangers.

"Hey, Tommy," Jason said as the Rangers broke their embrace, "how did you know?"

"Know what?" Billy asked, curiously.

"The time breaches," Tommy answered, "I felt them coming."

"But how could you?" Katherine questioned.

"Gasket's brain washing," Billy concluded. It was just over a week ago that the Red Zeo Ranger had been abducted by the wayward Prince and subjected to a form of mental reprogramming that had turned him against the other Zeo Rangers and, although they were successful in breaking through Gasket's influence and bringing their leader home, the event had produced an unlikely side effect.

His altered brain chemistry had left Tommy highly attuned to disturbances of a temporal nature, as discovered when Gasket recently trapped the Earth in a time-loop – an attempt to launch a large scale attack undetected. Tommy was the only being on Earth able to see through it.

"You know," Billy continued, "it's possible that your sensitivity to temporal abnormalities may allow us to locate Djolnel earlier than we otherwise would be able to. I just need to set up some equipment in order to monitor your brain activity."

"We could get the jump on him," Adam said, excitedly.

"Let's do it," Tommy instructed.

"I'll go fill Jen and the others in on the plan while Billy and Alpha begin the prep work," Jason said, heading for the Zord Bay.

"Jason!"

Hearing Billy's voice call after him, he turned to find that the former Blue Ranger had followed him into the corridor.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Forgive me if I'm off the mark but you seem awfully composed considering the situation that we're in," Billy replied, having observed the drastically different demeanour of his friend compared to the last time he had faced Djolnel. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, man," Jason shrugged, not entirely sure why Billy was so concerned. "I guess I'm just starting to get used to this time travel stuff."

Billy nodded, apparently in acceptance of the Gold Ranger's answer. "You know I'd never pry but we never talked about what happened last year. With the importance of the conversation between you and Jen, it must be strange knowing that the girl down the corridor right now hasn't even had that conversation yet."

Jason looked at his friend for a moment before patting him on the shoulder. "Billy, what're you talking about, man?" he chuckled.

 _What conversation?_

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Zeo Zord Holding Bay-

 _Why isn't she answering?_

Drumming his fingers on the foot of the Red Battle Zord, upon which he had set up the portable transmitters, Lucas's body trembled in anticipation. It wasn't like her not to answer his call – she ALWAYS answered his call! Something was wrong!

His hands on his head, his mind was filled with a hundred different scenarios. He had to get back! But with everything else that was at stake, would the others understand?

"Hey!"

At the sound of the voice, Lucas turned around quickly, his entire body on edge.

"You okay?" Wes asked, a legitimate concern in his tone.

"No. No, I'm not," the Blue Time Force Ranger replied. "Nadira isn't answering."

Wes bit his lip. He knew exactly where his friend's trepidation came from. "Look, I know what you're thinking – I know WHY you're thinking it. I get it...but Nadira can look after herself."

"Those bastards tried to kill her!" Lucas yelled, uncomforted by his friend's words.

"Tried and FAILED," Wes corrected. "You think she isn't ready for them? Nadira can take care of herself. She has this big debate coming up, yeah? She's probably just getting ready for it. We need you here, man."

Lucas shook his head. "Yeah, you need me – and you'd say anything to keep me here!" The accusation was unfair, he knew, but fairness was the least of his concerns at this moment. If anything were to happen to Nadi and the...

"We need you, sure, but that doesn't mean I'm bullshitting you," Wes said. "I believe in Nadira and that means I believe what I'm saying is true. Look, I'm not telling you not to worry," he said, sympathetically. "I'm just asking you to believe that she can take care of her own business in the same we that she believes in you."

Lucas rolled his head, slowly. Damn, Wes had a way with words! "Okay!" he replied. "Let's deal with this quickly, then. I have somewhen else that I need to be."

* * *

His helmet gripped firmly in his hands, Eric Myers stared at his reflection in its surface, trying to remember the person to whom that face used to belong. No matter how many ways he had changed for the better, it was impossible to deny that life used to be so much simpler.

"How are you coping?"

Eric shrugged at the black girl's question, not sure he wanted to complicate things any further by getting to know these other Rangers.

"Hey, I'm on the same boat as you," Tanya said, offering an olive branch as she approached with her hands clasped behind her back. "If it makes things any easier, I have no idea who you are," she added, jokingly. "I'm Tanya."

"Eric," he replied, her gesture more appreciated than she knew or he cared to admit.

"It's nice to meet you," she said, her smile wide and genuine. "I wish it weren't under such...confusing circumstances."

"This your first time travel rodeo?" he asked, the slightest hint of a smile appearing on his face.

"Sort of," she said with a screwed up face. "I'm kind of only here because of a time travel thing. That said, my brain is just about maxed out on the subject."

"I guess that puts us at the back of the race," he said.

"Maybe not," came another voice as Rocky appeared from the side. "I'm pretty sure I'm bringing up the rear, here."

"Yeah, well, maybe we can use you as a pacemaker," Tanya joked.

Rocky smiled. "Look, I'm sorry about...I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable back there, it's just...this is all pretty hard to take in, huh?"

The Quantum Ranger nodded, comforted to have, at the very least, two others who were in the same place as he was.

"One thing we can probably all agree on, though: 'Quantum Ranger' has to be THE coolest Ranger name ever!" Rocky added.

The hint of smile on Eric's face widened into a full fledged grin for the first time since the start of this mission. "I'm definitely not going to argue with a statement like that."

* * *

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Trip inhaled a long breath through his nose, the slow rise of his belly in sync with the contraction of his diaphragm. He could do this. All he needed to do was relax. Block out everything else. Clear of mind...

He grunted as he slapped his hand down off the floor in frustration. Why couldn't he focus? How many hours had he spent practicing his meditation techniques? What was the use if, after all this time, be still couldn't..."

"Trip?"

Hastily getting to his feet, he brushed his green hair out of his eyes with his fingers. "Hey, uh..." he started, before realising that he hadn't yet managed to catch the name of the person in front of him.

"Oh, it's Adam," he said, somewhat awkwardly. It was an odd feeling introducing himself for the first time to someone he had already met. "You doing okay over here?"

The question only highlighting his failure, his fists clenched as a frown formed over his face.

"Hey, don't get so frustrated," Adam consoled, "we're all in the same situation here. Patience is..."

"No," Trip protested. "This is what I'm meant to do and, instead, I'm useless. Again!"

"Self loathing isn't the answer," Adam responded. "You can't blame yourself for something that's out of your control."

"That's the problem! Control," Trip explained. "The gift has always been a source of great pride for the Xybrian people. Always we were told how 'blessed' we are. Taught always to be thankful for our visions..." He hesitated for a moment, almost choking back tears. "What good is this ability if I can't harness it at the times it matters most!?" He buried his head in his hands. Four times since their last battle with Djolnel, his gift had spoken to him, showing him things – things he was supposed to be grateful to see. But how could he be grateful when what it showed him was so insignificant in the grander scheme of things!?

"Jen, Katie, Wes, Lucas, Eric – all of them are such strong leaders," he continued. "Not me. I'm no leader. THIS is how I'm supposed to earn my keep." The Xybrian shook his head, the loathing expressed all across his face. "The worst part of it all," he went on, "the last time I was here, Tommy tried so hard to teach me how to relax my body and free my mind of everything other than the task at hand...and because of my failure, everyone is looking to him to do what I can't. He must be disgusted with me. No wonder he traded in the Green."

Adam felt a lump in his throat as he listened to the words, all too familiar with what Trip was feeling. When he was younger, he himself had often felt like he wasn't good enough and he knew just how crushing it could be to carry this feeling about inside of you.

"You can't do this to yourself, Trip" he said, adamantly. "You don't deserve it. It doesn't matter how we find Djolnel – it doesn't matter WHO finds him. All that matters is how we respond, and you'll be right there when we do. No hesitation. You know why? Because you're a Power Ranger. You're a hero. That's the real reason why you're here. That's your real gift."

Wiping away the tears that he was no longer able to hold back, the Xybrian nodded, not entirely convinced.

"And as for your other gift, just be patient. I have a real strong feeling that you're going to have a breakthrough with that, too," Adam continued. "Now, what say we get ready to fight? Tommy might be rocking Red these days, but we've still got TWO Green Rangers on our side and, honestly, I kinda like those odds."

 _Let's just hope Tommy can find this monster._

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Subsidiary Control Room-

 _What is going on?_

Jason sat deep in thought atop the control console. He hadn't noticed until Billy brought it to his attention but something definitely wasn't right.

Following his previous encounters with Djolnel, he had been overcome with the sense that he had failed in his duties as a leader – a near crushing weight that hung over him even after his original Ranger tenure had concluded. In fact, it was that very feeling that made it so easy for him to relinquish his role as a Power Ranger when he was presented with the opportunity to travel to Switzerland as an ambassador in the World Peace Conference.

So why didn't he feel that way now?

The drive to stop the villain and save the day was still present – that was hard wired into him – but that devastating sense of failure coupled with the need for redemption were completely gone.

And that wasn't all that was missing.

When Billy spoke to him of a conversation that took place between himself and Jen last year, he had quickly brushed it off as an error on his friend's part. Billy, however, rarely made mistakes and, the more he thought about it, the more he became sure that such a conversation HAD taken place.

So why couldn't he remember?

"Djolnel really likes that park, huh?" Tommy mused, numerous wires hanging from his head as Billy monitored images of his brainwaves on the instruments in front of him.

"I doubt that it's intentional," the team genius surmised. "It's a tactical disadvantage for him to appear in the exact same area every time, making it far more plausible that the vortex naturally opens where the fabric of spacetime has been breached previously, probably due to less energy output requirements." He took a final look over the collected data. "There, that should be enough information."

"What are we looking for, Billy?" Tommy asked, curiously.

"Well, the limits of your ability to detect temporal events are still largely unknown to us," he answered. "My theory is that your brain patterns may show evidence of such an occurrence before you yourself are actually aware of it. The computer will run the diagnostic image it just took of your brainwaves against your brainwaves in real time so that any unusual spikes in activity will be profoundly noticeable."

"Unusual activity being Djolnel's building chroniton energy signature," Jen concluded.

"If all goes to plan, we'll have his location ahead of your usual timeframe," he confirmed.

"Billy, I want to apologise about earlier," she said, sheepishly. "You were right to pull us out of battle. I was just frustrated..."

"Your reaction was understandable – an apology isn't required," he replied with a smile.

Nodding her head guiltily, not sure she would have been so understanding if the roles were reversed, her eyes were drawn for a moment to the communicator he wore around his wrist, identical in design to the one he had presented to her when she last met him a few months prior. Of course, from Billy's perspective, that meeting had taken place three YEARS ago and it would seem that, for the Zeo team, that encounter was not their most recent.

There were several new faces on the team but the fact that neither Jason, Tommy nor Billy had so much as batted an eye at the fact that her team had arrived without the means of a vessel told her that it wasn't the first time they had witnessed them using the 4-space translocation method of time travel.

Feeling an ache forming behind her eyes, the Pink Time Force Ranger silently excused herself and made her way back across the corridor to the command deck.

"It is good to see you again, Jennifer," the unmistakable voice of Zordon said, preceding the wizard's image forming in his energy tube.

"You, too, Zordon," she replied, his loud booming voice oddly soothing. "I'm sorry that our mission has once again interfered with your own."

"Our missions are one and the same. We are all bound by our duty to protect the innocent – past, present AND future," he replied. "I sense that you are troubled," he added after a short pause.

She gulped in response to his observation, not sure why she expected anything less from him. "'The stars do not illustrate our fates; we are received by our decisions at destiny's call,'" she said, quoting the wizard's own parting words to her when last she saw him. "I didn't understand at first the meaning behind those words but, once they made sense to me, they told me exactly what it is that I need to do."

"Jennifer, it would cause me great discontent if a misinterpretation of words meant to guide you in life, instead led you down a road to ruin," Zordon said. "I pray that you are not planning on doing anything reckless in a misguided quest to fulfil a destiny that has not yet called."

Before she was able to fully process what Zordon was saying, the sound of the alarms began wailing all around them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Ai-ai-ai! Trouble!" Alpha 5 answered, taking his post at the controls.

 _Just what we didn't need right now!_

* * *

The Power Chamber 

-Building Perimeter-

 _I don't know if I can do this_.

Staring at the transmitters in her hands, Katie contemplated the ramifications of what she came outside to do.

What Jen had done went against the very grain of what they were supposed to represent. How many more times was she prepared to cross the line in order to complete the mission? And how much further over that line was she willing to go?

It was her duty to report such acts of indiscretion to her superiors, an act that, with a growing rift already prevalent, would unquestionably cause an irreparable divide between the two. The Time Force Power Rangers would be torn apart from within!

Or was that the idea all along?

Could Jen be right? Was this wedge that was being driven between them the product of manipulation? The nature of her 'working relationship' with Steelix was always going to be a source of contention, but could there be more to it than that?

Since his thawing, not only had Steelix proven to be surprisingly cooperative, he had been nothing less than an asset to the organisation without ever needing leave his cell – his familiarity with working on both sides of the law providing a unique insight that had been beneficial in multiple investigations and situations.

But what if all of that was a cover for something more sinister? Djolnel the Dire posed an incomparable threat...so why was she so angry at Jen right now? Was this Steelix's true motivation? To turn them against one another?

The sound of footsteps on the desert rock behind her derailed her train of thought.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind," Katherine said.

"Yeah, got kind of a tough decision to make," Katie replied, more than a little thankful for the interruption. "Katherine, right?"

The Pink Zeo Ranger nodded. "Kat, if you like?" she answered with a grin.

Katie smiled back. "I prefer 'Katherine.' It was my grandma's name."

"Ah, she sounds like a wise woman," the Australian girl commented.

"She was," the Time Force officer replied. "So, uh...what happened to Kimberly?"

Katherine looked at her feet for a few seconds. "Life," she answered. "She moved on; an opportunity that she couldn't say no to. She chose me to take her place." Her statement was full of pride. "They were big shoes to fill and sometimes I feel like I'm still trying but..."

"No, I'm sorry," Katie interrupted. "I didn't mean...I saw you fight back there! You're a great Ranger – more than worthy of the Power. I was just wondering, you know? She's my friend."

"Mine, too," Katherine said, solemnly. "Kimberly Hart is one in a..."

The sound of alarms cut her off mid-sentence, the noise audible through the walls of the Power Chamber.

"The alarm!" she cried.

"We'd better get back inside!" Katie stated.

 _I'll rematch my conscience later!_

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Command Deck-

 _What are those!?_

"Those don't look like your run-of-the-mill Cogs?" Tanya said, observing the robotic invasion force in the viewing globe.

It went without saying. The silver faceplate they wore on their faces gave them a Spartan-like appearance, an almost majestic indigo cape hanging from the armoured bearings on their shoulders – even the way carried themselves was unlike any Cogs they had seen before.

"Alpha, run a sweeping scan of the Machine Moon Base," Zordon instructed, looking to confirm his suspicions.

"Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai!" the flailing robot yelled.

"As I suspected," the wizard said. "These Cogs are the Elite Guard of the Royal House Binarius, ruled by King Aradon – Archerina's father."

"Archerina's father is running things up there, now!? Katherine asked.

"It's like a game of thrones on the moon," Adam commented. "Queen Machina really needs to start locking the door."

"Aradon's Elite Guard possess combat skills unlike the Cogs you are accustomed to dealing with, Rangers," Zordon warned. "They will be a formidable test of your abilities."

"What about Djolnel?" asked both Lucas and Trip, almost simultaneously.

"Tommy will remain here with Billy for the time being as the search continues," Zordon explained.

"I'll stay, too," Jen declared, insistent on being here when Djolnel was located. "The rest of you need to go." She turned her gaze on Katie, a simple look exchanged between the two confirming that, problems aside, they were on the same page right now.

"Then let's do this, already," said Eric, clipping his helmet back on over his head.

"I'm with you!" Rocky declared, grabbing his own helmet from atop the console where he had left it.

"Alright, guys," Jason said. "Back to action!"

 _Let's see how 'elite' these Cogs really are!_

 **End of Part 2**

* * *

 **Part 3**

Downtown Angel Grove

 _At last!_

"You're not going to run away this time, are you, Rangers?" Gasket teased, his greatest enemies appearing from a shower of multi-coloured sparks.

"Couldn't beat us yourself so you had to get a loan from your father-in-law?" The Green Zeo Ranger fired back.

"No more talk!" the Machine Prince declared, brandishing his sword in his hand.

"Some flashy new Cogs aren't going to be enough!" Jason yelled, front and centre of the Rangers.

"It is your reinforcements from the future who won't be enough," Archerina scoffed back. "Destroy them!" On her command, the six Cogs who formed the Elite Guard of the House Binarius charged to meet the Power Rangers head on.

"Okay, let's see what these guys have got!" said Rocky as he and Eric prepared to engage their new enemy.

Its face shifting to reveal the laser blasters located behind its eyes, the two Rangers leapt out of the way as the Cog fired multiple shots in their direction.

"Guess they're not so 'elite' after all," Rocky huffed, noting the likeness of the attack to that of a standard Cog.

Just then, a long blade extended out from the base of the Machine's right arm, replacing its hand as, at the same time, multiple fissures appeared on its left hand, opening up and fanning out to form a shield like construct.

"Okay, so THAT'S new," the Zeo Ranger admitted, the Elite Cog attacking with a speed and ferocity vastly superior to the Cogs that he was familiar with, tossing both Rangers aside.

As Rocky quietly wondered why he ever opened his big mouth, the Cog, its feet planted firmly on the ground, clanged its blade against its shield – a sweeping wave of energy created by the collision that lifted the pair of Rangers off of their and sent them flipping backwards through the air uncontrollably.

* * *

"Dammit," groaned Katie, pulling herself out of the car windscreen she had landed in. What the heck was that, anyway? Some kind of energy wave produced by the shield? Or the sword? Both? She didn't have time to ponder, her ears detecting the rapidly approaching footsteps of her adversary.

Realising that the Cog intended to hit her with the same attack again, Katie knew she had to act first. With every bit of superhuman strength that she had behind it, Katie launched her fist straight into the shield on the Cog's left hand – a strike that should have reduced it to a crumpled mess...but it didn't. Not even a dent.

Her reflection in the shiny surface staring back at her in disbelief, the Yellow Time Force Ranger was too shocked to react as the Cog ran its blade down her chest, a trail of sparks following her to the ground. What the hell were these things made of!?

* * *

Ducking and dodging the incoming strikes of the Elite Machine in a display that surprised even himself, Trip's hot streak came to an end when his opponent's shield battered against his head.

"You gotta keep moving," Adam recommended as he helped the Xybrian to his feet before lunging at the enemy with his dual Power Hatchets in hand, ripping the weapons down its metallic torso. Taking a few seconds too long to admire his handiwork, a hard front kick knocked him backwards into the arms of his fellow Green Ranger.

"You were saying?" Trip asked.

* * *

"Keep it busy!" Wes instructed, Tanya complying by unleashing a furious attack upon their adversary, eventually settling for grabbing hold of it in a desperate attempt to restrain the robotic soldier. Silently praying that she wouldn't need to hang on much longer, her grip was broken by a flurry of metallic fists hammering her in the body. Where the hell was Wes!?

"Tanya, MOVE!" shouted the Red Time Force Ranger, somersaulting across the sky, the burning red Chrono Sabres in his hands in position to deliver a Time Strike...the attack denied at the last possible moment as another of the Machine's came to its brother's aid, blocking the strike with its shield. Flipping backwards off the rebound, Wes could barely believe that his sabre had failed to leave as much as a scratch. The Yellow Zeo Ranger regrouping at his side, the two wouldn't have the chance to develop a new strategy, the pair of Machines tapping their swords off of their shields – the impact of the combined energy wave almost enough to knock the two Rangers unconscious as their bodies were tossed violently across the battlefield.

* * *

"Katherine!" Jason shouted, sprinting to his fallen friend's aid. "You okay?"

"I think so," she answered, "but I can't put a scratch on these things!"

"Me, neither," the Gold Ranger responded as the robot pounced on him. Sidestepping a swipe from the Cog's sword, he was able to use his Power Staff to knock his enemy off balance and lower its defence.

"Jason! Get down!" Lucas yelled.

As instructed, the Gold Ranger dropped flat out on the ground as the blast from Lucas's Vector Weapon blazed overhead, the metal body of the Elite Cog sliding to a stop on the road.

"Alright!" Jason yelled, jumping back to his feet in celebration. King Aradon's guards may have been 'elite', but they weren't unbeatable. "You all have weapons like that, yeah?" he asked to a nod from the Blue Time Force Ranger. "Then that's the plan: we'll bring their guard down, you guys take them out."

"It's not done, yet!" Katherine pointed out as the still smouldering robot slowly made itself vertical once again, its once majestic looking cape reduced to tattered rags.

A sudden commotion amongst the other members of the Elite Guard foretold a change in their tactics, all six Cogs grouping tightly together in a line.

"What are they doing now?" Tanya asked.

"Um, they're not going to..." Katherine started to say, sensing what was about to happen.

From their rooftop perch, Gasket and Archerina looked over the battlefield, the Prince nodding to his wife to give the order.

Her eyes lighting up, Archerina, born of the House Binarius, interfaced with the network of the Elite Guard. "Tsunami," she commanded.

"Move! Everybody, out of the way!" Jason yelled, his warning doing little to change what was about to happen. In perfect synchronization, the six Cogs clanged their swords off of their shields to release a collective energy wave that shattered every window in the vicinity as high as eight storeys up – streetlights were ripped out of the ground and vehicles that were caught in its path sent corkscrewing into the air.

Groaning, Wes sat up off of the cold floor, barely able to hear anything over the screaming in his ears. The energy wave had sent all of them crashing through the front of one of the office buildings behind them, the sting of dust in his eyes a not-so-subtle tell that the visor of his helmet had also been smashed in the attack. "Is everybody...argh! Is everyone okay?"

"I've been better," Tanya answered, her figure draped backwards over the empty window frame, her face visible through her broken helmet.

"If they hit us with another wave like that, it'll be our FACES that break," Katie stated, only three amongst them – Eric, Rocky and Jason – fortunate enough to not have their helmets damaged.

"The Vector Weapons work better than anything else against them," Lucas said, holding his ribs. "The way they're grouped together, one shot from the Vortex Blaster might take all of them out!"

"But Jen isn't here," Trip pointed out, the Vortex Blaster the assembly of all five Vector Weapons. "We've never tested it with one component missing."

"We'll just need to hope that four is enough," Wes declared.

"We'll back you up with the Zeo Blaster," Adam said. "We're one Ranger down, too, but both of our blasters together? That's still gotta have a hell of a kick!"

"Do it guys!" Jason said, the smoke beginning to clear and the march of the Elite Guard getting closer.

 _We may only get one chance at this._

* * *

Angel Grove Docks

 _This is definitely the place._

"Tommy?" Jen asked, the sound of her voice almost drowned out by the intensifying sound of buzzing in his head.

"He's here," the Red Zeo Ranger replied, pointing up ahead, "and I think he's in that boat."

Barely a minute had elapsed after the rest of the Rangers had left to take on the Machine Empire when his brain readings showed an unusual spike in activity, one that Billy was certain was an early indication of a temporal disruption even though Tommy couldn't actually sense one at the time.

Somehow, his instincts had pointed to the docks as the source of the disturbance. As soon as the red sparks dissipated from around his being, he knew that those instincts were correct.

Pushing the buzzing to the back of his mind as best he could, he approached the fishing boat cautiously.

"Tommy," Jen said, walking by his side, "the chances of us stopping Djolnel in our current situation..."

"Listen," he interrupted, intent on delivering reassuring words. "The others will be here. We just need to give them the time to..."

"Hear me out," she said, cutting him off. Tommy's ability to locate Djolnel had given them short of a twenty minute lead on their usual timeframe. However, with the rest of the team currently otherwise occupied, the odds weren't in their favour. "If this doesn't go to plan – if Djolnel escapes into the timestream – I need to know what went wrong last year. If you tell me now, then I can make sure that we do things differently this time. Do things RIGHT."

Her words reeked of desperation, making it that much more difficult for Tommy when he shook his head. "Jen, myself and the others are prepared for the consequences of what it means to stop Djolnel today – we're willing to change our past to ensure a better future," he said, "but you know better than I do how dangerous it would be for me to answer that question."

The Pink Time Force Ranger didn't reply, her gaze straight ahead.

"Look, I'm not gonna lie. That day last year? It wasn't easy. It won't be easy for you. Bad things happen. But it wasn't ALL bad things," he explained, thinking specifically of Trip's 'awakening.' He couldn't risk the possibility that any information he gave Jen could stop that from happening while still not being enough to stop Djolnel. "All I will say is this: when you arrive in 1995, don't hesitate. You have to act IMMEDIATELY. You understand? Then maybe that whole damned day doesn't need to happen at all."

Beneath her helmet, Jen screwed up her face at Tommy's cryptic answer. She knew, of course, that what he said was true and, yet, she was willing to press for more information – anything that could give her an edge in stopping Djolnel. Before she could say anything, however, the sound of metal being ripped apart caught her attention – the boat they approached being ripped open from the inside.

Preparing herself, Jen summoned her Chrono Sabres from her Morpher - ready to leap directly at her enemy - when Tommy placed his arm across her chest, stopping her.

"Hope you don't mind but I put in a request for a little backup..." he said.

On cue, from a bolt of lightning appeared the ancient warrior known as Auric the Conqueror, his cape blowing valiantly in the breeze. "Behold, the Conqueror cometh! Evil beware - Auric is...aarrghhhh!"

Her chest tightening suddenly, the Pink Time Force Ranger dropped down on her knees. "No – not again!"

The world around him appearing to spin out of control, Tommy tried desperately to fill his lungs with air – the rising sense of panic throughout his body making it all but impossible to draw a full breath!

"It's not real," Jen muttered, her heart pounding so hard it felt as though it might jump right out of her chest. "Tommy, we have to..." She was unable to even finish her words, the debilitating anxiety almost completely overpowering.

Hands on his face, Auric submitted to the effects of the psionic attack, quickly retreating back to his protective tiki form before disappearing from battle.

Walking menacingly towards the two Rangers, the accents on Djolnel's body glowed bright red in accordance with his psionic attack, tentacles growing out from his back. This early intrusion upon his regeneration time was an inconvenience he would rather not be forced to deal with. The Sands already deployed, all that mattered was reaching full capacity and...

"Arrrrggghhhhh!" he screamed, his tentacles withdrawing as he clasped his head with both hands, yet another burst of hypersensitivity sending his senses into overdrive – the effects of the sensory inhibitor he had earlier plucked from his skull still plaguing him. He couldn't fight at full strength with this affliction – worse, his chroniton particle regeneration appeared to be suffering as a result!

Screaming again as he collapsed to his knees, the glow faded from the pulsating red accents, freeing Jen and Tommy of his hold.

Inhaling a deep breath, the Red Zeo Ranger climbed back to his feet – the terror that had consumed him mere seconds ago no longer present. "Man, I HATE that!"

"Tommy, look!" Jen gasped, pointing at Djolnel. "This is our chance!"

Chrono Sabres in her hands, she ran towards her enemy – not wanting to give him even a second to recover – when a hard metal fist met her before she could reach him.

"Cogs!" Tommy shouted.

"That's right, Rangers!" Prince Sprocket yelled from atop one of the boats. "My big stupid brother thinks he's so great but I'M the one who's going to destroy you and lead the Machine Empire into a new age of glory!"

"God dammit!" Jen cursed, Cogs dropping from the sky all around them.

 _Kid, your timing SUCKS!_

* * *

Downtown Angel Grove

 _I'm the BAIT!?_

Stepping out into the open by himself, Eric Myers grumbled under his breath as the Binarius Elite Guard gathered on his location. "Here I am! Come and get me!" he taunted.

From commander of the Silver Guardians to Time Force decoy!? That just wasn't going to fly! Maybe it was time to remind everyone around here who the real 'big gun' on this team was!

"What are they up to?" Archerina asked, not fooled by the Quantum Ranger's act. "Something isn't right – we should revoke the Guard's orders."

"No," Gasket responded, glaring down on the scene below. "I want to see just what makes your father's Guard so 'elite'..."

"Uh, anytime now, guys!" Eric yelled in response to the fluttering in his stomach as the six Machines raised their swords in unison.

"Over here, you piles of scrap!" Wes shouted, he and his team appearing from between the buildings to the right of the Cogs, the 80% constructed Vortex Blaster locked onto their position.

"Don't forget about us, bolt-brains!" Adam added, the Zeo Blaster, minus Tommy's Power Sword, gripped tightly in his hands, the rest of the Zeo Rangers gathered around him.

Adapting to the situation, the Cogs abandoned their shoulder-to-shoulder formation, instead patterning themselves in a circle so as to have all sides covered.

"Time for a Gold Rush!" Jason declared, leaping over the head of the Quantum Ranger and landing in the middle of the group of Machines, the golden electricity spewing from the head of his Power Staff momentarily disrupting their attack.

"Now, guys!" he shouted, jumping clear.

On his order, Wes and Adam pulled the triggers of their respective blasters, the powerful energy beams meeting at the centre of their enemies in a spectacular explosion.

"No! This cannot be!" Archerina cried out in disbelief, watching in horror as the Elite Guard of the House Binarius, never before defeated in battle, disappeared amidst the flames.

"Hmph!" Gasket grunted, smugly, unable to deny the satisfaction of seeing Aradon's greatest warriors fall. "All is not lost yet, my love – that was only plan A."

Soaring over the heads of the Power Rangers, a lone Quadrafighter came out of hiding and projected a beam of blue light down to the surface, a transport beam within which the Earth-Breaker drill materialised.

"What now?" Katherine wondered out loud, the mining machine still sporting the damages it endured from the Zeo Cannon in the earlier battle.

With his wife looking to him for answers, Gasket's mechanical features shifted into a menacing grin. "I had some 'adjustments' made..."

As the Rangers looked on in shock, a mass of steel-like cables shot out like tentacles – eerily reminiscent of Djolnel, himself – latching onto the scattered Cog body parts and pulling them back into itself.

"What's it doing?" Tanya cried.

"Self-repair initiative," Trip answered, pointing. "Look!"

Before their eyes, the Earth-Breaker absorbed the most damaged of the Cog parts, recycling them to partially reconstruct its own most heavily damaged systems.

And that wasn't all.

From the least damaged parts of the six fallen Machines, a new Cog body was being constructed and integrated with the Earth-Breaker.

Leaping down from the rooftop, Gasket looked on intently as a new breed of Machine was born – the first hybrid warrior of his new regime. "Behold, Power Rangers! The means of your end: the Earth-Breaker Elite!"

The assimilation now complete, displayed before the Rangers was an Elite Cog standing around 10 feet tall, the Earth-Breaker wrapped around it like some kind of heavy duty armour, the primary drill mounted on its back and the other large drills – now deadly weapons – located on its forearms.

"Take this thing down!" Katie yelled, the two teams of Rangers turning their blasters on the hybrid in an attempt to eliminate the threat before it could even begin, when something came soaring through the air and latched onto the Machine.

"Time to grow!" Orbus squealed, feeding his enlargement beam into a small access panel on the Earth-Breaker's hull, the effects instantaneous!

"Get back!" Jason shouted, his Time Force friends wise to take his advice, as the Machine's metallic structure expanded outwards rapidly until it occupied the ground they had been standing on.

"That's one big-ass drill!" Adam pointed out, the mechanical monster now standing taller than the buildings around them. "We'd better call the Zords!"

Reacting to the beeping sound coming from his Chrono Morpher, Wes held the device up in front of his face.

"Jen?" he answered as the holographic image of the Pink Time Force Ranger appeared from his wrist.

"Wes! Tommy and I need backup! Djolnel is..."

"Jen? Jen!?" he yelled, the transmission cutting out and her image fading before she could finish her message. "We have to do something!"

Just then, the head and limbs of the Earth-Breaker Elite retracted into its body as the drills repositioned themselves back to mining mode before it disappeared within the same beam of blue light that delivered it, the Quadrafighter responsible quickly leaving the scene.

"Where's it going?" Lucas asked.

"Hmm, quite the conundrum," Gasket taunted, having overheard Jen's communication. "Do you go to the aid of your fellow Power Rats or do you stop your planet from being destroyed?"

"Decisions, decisions..." Archerina added, stroking her chin mockingly.

"You won't get away with this!" Rocky shouted.

"Well, I know where I'll be," Gasket continued. "I'll make sure to give your regards to your fellow Rangers...right before I slaughter them! Ta-ra." And with that, the cackling pair were gone.

"What do we do?" Tanya asked.

"Billy, Alpha, we need you to track that Quadrafighter!" the Gold Ranger said into his wrist communicator, certain that his friends had been monitoring events form the Power Chamber.

"Already on it," Billy answered, "but Tommy and Jen are in big trouble over at the docks. They can't hold out much longer."

"Come on," Eric said, placing his hand on Wes's shoulder, "let's go save your girl."

"No," the Red Time Force Ranger answered to the shock of his friend. "You, Jason and Rocky need to go after the Earth-Breaker. You're the only ones who's visors aren't broken and you may need to follow that thing underground."

"He's right," Jason said. "The rest of you need to head to the docks now before..."

"Jason! Jason!" Billy's voice screamed over the open transmission.

"Billy, teleport everybody over to the docks except for myself, Rocky and..."

"I have a location on Gaskets monster," Billy said, interrupting the Gold Ranger. "I know what he's planning! We need to stop it NOW..."

 _...or there won't be a planet left to save._

* * *

Angel Grove Docks

 _This is it!_

Getting out of the CBS news van, María Delgado felt a nervous excitement come over her.

"María, I dunno what's got you're so excited about," her cameraman stated, getting out from behind the steering wheel. "You heard the radio same as I did – the big story is going down across state."

"No, the big story is right here and nobody else is touching it! Now come on!" she yelled, making her way on foot to where the battle was taking place.

"María! Wait!" he shouted after her, clambering around in the back of the van as he gathered his recording equipment. Of all the reporters to work with, how the hell did he get stuck with HER!?

* * *

Folded by the fist buried in his gut, the Red Zeo Ranger was helpless to defend the sharp elbow spiking him between his shoulder blades that dropped him to all fours, the hard soccer kick to his body that followed lifting him off the ground. "And this is where your story ends, Red Ranger: belly down in the dirt!" Gasket sneered, lifting his sword over his head. "Don't worry, though – the rest of this miserable world will join you shortly!"

"Hiyah!"

The mechanical Prince was too slow to react as the Green Time Force Ranger's foot dropped directly onto his chest, sending him soaring backwards.

"Tommy!"

"Ugh, Trip," groaned Tommy, as the Xybrian Ranger helped him to his feet. "I thought I was done for this time."

"Then I guess I finally repaid that debt," Trip said, smiling as the rest of the Rangers formed on their location.

"Jen!" shouted Wes, putting his arms caringly around the Pink Time Force Ranger.

"I'm okay," she replied quickly, "but I'm glad you're here."

"Rangers," Gasket said, back on his feet, "I'm glad you could join us!" He wasn't lying. Everything was going according to plan. Even his moronic sibling's interference had only served to play into his favour. As expected, the Power Rangers had pooled their resources in favour of aiding their allies over attending to the planetary threat. His victory was surely in hand. In the meantime, we would make pay all of those who had opposed him...

 _...including this monster from the future!_

* * *

 **Harwood County, California**

Harwood Business District

 _We're already too late!_

"Talk to me, Billy!" Jason yelled into his communicator over the sound of the chaos unfolding all around him.

"The Earth-Breaker has already begun to burrow its way through the planet's crust. Initial analysis determines that the monster is equipped to emit a massive seismic shock wave," Billy explained. "Jason, listen to me, you're right on top of the Harwood Major. If that thing is able to make it all the way through to the Earth's mantle, a shock wave that size on top of such a highly unstable fault line..." He paused for a few seconds, the magnitude of what he was about to say almost too big to comprehend. "The Earth-Breaker may very well break the Earth in two."

"Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai-ai-ai!" wailed Alpha in The background.

Hundreds of fleeing civilians screaming as they ran for their lives, Eric looked past them at the terrifying scene, one all encompassing question on his mind: why was THIS giving him deja-vu!?

"I'll take my Super Zeo Zord in after it!" Rocky suggested.

"Negative," came Billy's response over the communicator. "Even if you were able to stop it from unleashing the shock wave, the underground battle would still cause enough tectonic movement to generate a magnitude 10 earthquake. Harwood would be obliterated; hundreds dead."

"Then what the hell DO we do!?" the Blue Zeo Ranger cried.

"The monster is shielded against electromagnetic interference, so Alpha is configuring a means to deploy a jamming signal based on the one that Gasket used to interfere with our communications earlier," replied Billy. "By calibrating the frequency to match that of the Earth-Breaker's neurorobotictransmitter, we should be able to send a signal that disrupts the neuron pathway and disables its operating systems. But you'll need to get close to make it work."

Rocky shook his head, the current situation too tense for him to even try and keep up with his friend's technospeak. "What does that even mean!?"

"It means we go down the rabbit hole!" Eric answered, borrowing Wes's often uttered phrase, taking a running leap down into the gigantic cavity, the Gold Ranger only a few steps behind him.

Throwing his arms up as he watched his comrades disappear into the Earth, the Blue Zeo Ranger exhaled a deep breath. What else could he do? "Outta my mind..." he muttered to himself, freefalling down the tunnel and landing gracefully upon the burrowing Machine, his body immediately beginning to perspire as the intense heat of the planet's interior washed over him.

"We don't have much time," Jason noted, the hole already far deeper than he had anticipated. "Billy, status?"

"The calibrations are almost complete," he answered, his voice barely audible over the sound of drills and crumbling rock, "we just need a few more minutes."

Just then, all three Rangers were struck down by what appeared to be a ball of living fire – ricocheting between them like a blazing pinball – before the flame dissipated to reveal its true form.

"Now, now, Rangers, you three didn't really think we'd just let you run around unchecked, did you?" Archerina said.

"Oh, man!" Jason grunted as he scrambled back to his feet.

 _We may not have a few minutes!_

* * *

Angel Grove Docks

 _The PAIN!_

Djolnel let loose another scream as the mechanical minions continued to swarm him – every strike they landed amplified tenfold in his current condition, the sound of their metal feet reverberating in his head at an excruciating volume...and then it was gone. The aftereffects of the inhibitor had once again passed – hopefully for the last time!

Cogs flying into the sky as tentacles exploded from his body in all directions, Djolnel stood up when, all of a sudden, there it was. A tiny white flash right in front of his eyes. Barely noticeable, yet so significant. Other small fizzles followed, appearing all around his body. It wouldn't be long now – the vast expanse of time almost his to navigate once again! All he had to do was hold off his enemies for a few more minutes.

The red accents on his body pulsing and glowing once again, the number of enemies opposing him dwindled dramatically as, one by one, the Power Rangers succumbed to fear until Jen and Tommy were the only Rangers left standing.

"Kat! Trip!" the Red Zeo Ranger cried, his comrades lying in the fetal position at his feet. "Why aren't we being affected?"

"We must be developing an immunity," Jen speculated.

"Jen, we have to do something NOW," Tommy said, sensing the rising chroniton energy within Djolnel.

"I know," she replied, her internal computer displaying the readings in her visor. In a few minutes, her enemy would once again be out of her reach. She couldn't let it happen – this had to end!

"Hey!" she shouted over to Gasket, he and his Cogs unaffected by Djolnel's mental manipulation. "Are you really going to let him get away? Didn't he devastate your forces? Isn't this all you have left?" she asked, motioning towards the dozen Cogs standing behind him.

"What's your point?" the mechanical Prince growled.

"In a matter of minutes, he's going to disappear," the Pink Time Force Ranger explained. "He's going to open a vortex into the timestream and then you'll NEVER see him again! You'll never get your revenge."

Turning to look at Djolnel, Prince Gasket noted the temporal energy that crackled all around him. It would appear that this visiting Ranger was telling the truth.

"Fine," he replied, understanding the implications in what Jen was saying. "We shall dispose of this scoundrel first..."

 _Then I shall dispose of YOU._

* * *

Harwood Business District

-28km Underground-

 _Man, this is too much!_

"We can't take much more of this!" Rocky shouted, the temperature climbing more and more rapidly the further the Earth-Breaker descended into the planet. If not for the massive coolant vents located on the Machine's hull, even their Ranger suits would be unable to withstand the intensifying heat.

"We need to finish this NOW!" Eric yelled.

The bladed end of Archerina's bow passing only inches above his head, Jason stepped off with a spinning hook kick to the villain's back, staggering her into the double team attack of his fellow Rangers – prompting a scream of frustration from the robot Princess.

"Had enough?" the Gold Ranger panted.

"Hardly!" she replied sharply. "However, it would seem that your world just ran out of time. Goodbye, humanity. Long live the Machines." With those parting words, Archerina was once again encompassed in a fiery aura before shooting off skyward, leaving the Rangers alone atop the Earth-Breaker which, alarmingly, had ceased its descent.

"It stopped!" Rocky cried, the jerk of the sudden halt knocking him over. Even more concerning was the growing hum of some kind of weapon charging.

"Billy!" Jason shouted into his communicator.

"Jason! Rocky, prepare to receive!" came the voice from the other side, four transmitters materialised from the showers of sparks that poured into the Rangers' hands. "Quickly, spread them across the surface of the monster!"

As instructed, the three Rangers sprinted outwards in a triangular formation, the sickening heat making even that small task almost unbearable.

"Do it, Billy!" Jason said breathlessly over the open transmission once all four devices were in place, waiting expectantly for some indication that everything was going to be okay. Seconds passed, the hum escalating into a blare as the vibrating metal they were standing on sent tremors through their bones.

"Anytime now, Billy!" Rocky pleaded.

"Something's wrong!" he replied, his voice barely audible over the roar coming from beneath them.

"The signal isn't strong enough!" Alpha cried in a panic stricken tone.

"But...what do we do!?" Jason asked.

"The Golden Power Staff!" Billy answered frantically. "A minute amount of its energy injected directly into the transmitters may be enough to supercharge the signal...but too much energy will fry their circuit boards – you're only going to get one chance, here!

"No pressure, then..." Jason grumbled, holding the staff out in front of him. Closing his eyes tightly as he tried to concentrate over the now deafening scream of the Earth-Breaker's weapon charging, Eric and Rocky watched on with an apprehensive anticipation as four tiny golden sparks flickered out from the head of the staff and made their way to their intended targets. Instantly, the Earth-Breaker began to power down.

"Thank God," Jason whispered, dropping down to his knees – the feat of manipulating the staff's energy in such a small quantity, coupled with the intense heat, having exhausted him completely.

Dropping down next to his friend, Rocky placed his hand on the Gold Ranger's shoulder. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

Before they could make their move, however, a violent rumble from below acted as an early indicator that they were not yet finished here.

Bombarded by broken rock falling from the tunnel walls around them, the Rangers could do little more than hold on as the Earth-Breaker began a rapid ascent to the surface – their bodies thrown from its shifting surface as it re-emerged above ground.

Landing on the fractured concrete with a dull thud, the Blue Zeo Ranger let out a long groan, not sure he even wanted to know what was happening now!

Its transformation to warrior form complete, the Earth-Breaker Elite towered over the Harwood skyline. Alpha's signal had been fit for purpose, successfully disrupting the Machine's primary mining applications and preventing it from destroying the planet, but this was a true Hybrid Machine – in possession of not one but TWO central operating mainframes. With one currently compromised, control was simply transferred across to the other.

"Looks like we still have a fight on our hands!" Eric proclaimed.

Still on his knees, Jason inhaled a deep breath, his body still exerted from his efforts underground. The prospect of piloting Pyramidas into battle right now was a daunting thought.

"Don't worry," Rocky said, sensing his friend's concern, "I'll handle this!"

"No, I will!" Eric declared, raising the Quantum Morpher on his wrist to his face. "Q-Rex, I summon you! Time to show everyone who the REAL 'big gun' is around here!"

His command transcending time and space, the entire sky was turned white by the brilliant flash of a vortex opening on the other side of the nearby buildings, a magnificent roar drowning out the sound of the vortex closing.

"Whoa..." was all that Rocky could muster as the mighty form of the Quantasaurus Rex appeared, sprinting towards the Earth-Breaker Elite.

"Fire lasers!" the Quantum Ranger ordered, the massive cannons mounted on the Zord's back unloading on the monster.

"Man," Jason said, "it looks like the old Tyrannosaurus Zord, only..."

"...WAY cooler!" Rocky finished for him. While not exactly the choice of words Jason was about to use, it was certainly hard to disagree – the Zord a seemingly perfect combination of power and speed.

"Now finish it!" Eric yelled, the Q-Rex opening its glowing mouth as it prepared to unleash another attack...only for the monster to deliver a massive uppercut that snapped its head back, the blast of energy from its mouth instead released into the sky.

"Man, look at the heat coming off of that thing!" Rocky pointed out, the upper parts of the monster almost glowing from the heat absorbed below ground.

"And I've got just the thing to cool it off!" Eric stated. "Q-Rex – activate Megazord mode!"

With Jason and Rocky watching on, the Zord from the future abandoned its dinosaur-like appearance, reconfiguring itself to assume a more humanoid shape.

"Fire missiles!" Eric instructed, the Q-Rex Megazord responding to the sound of his voice by launching the projectiles from the gauntlet on its right hand, none of them making it past the shield that the monster raised in defence.

"So we're still playing like that, huh?" the Quantum Ranger said. "Okay, let's see you block this: Max Blizzard!"

With the Earth-Breaker Elite charging straight for it, the cryo-units atop the Q-Rex Megazord's shoulders lit up prior to it unleashing its most powerful attack – a dual blast of pure cryo-energy that engulfed the massive Machine, leaving it frozen in its tracks.

"And just to send the people home happy – Quantum Thunder Fist!"

Pointing its left arm at its frozen adversary, the Megazord fired its closed hand like a rocket across the sky, the Earth-Breaker shattering into a million frozen pieces to finally end this battle.

"And he's out of there!" Rocky shouted in celebration, embracing the Quantum Ranger with a high five as particles of their defeated adversary floated down like snow all around them.

Eric smiled underneath his helmet. He hadn't been able to put his finger on it right away, but the reason he had been experiencing deja-vu when he saw the monster drilling into the Earth was because he had already seen it – years before the Silver Guardians or Time Force or the Quantum Ranger or any of the other crazy stuff that had happened in his life – sitting at home, on his mother's couch, watching the story unfold on the news, shaky footage and eyewitness accounts conveying the battle between the two titans and the victory for the Power Rangers. He had no idea at the time that he had been given a glimpse into his own future.

"Way to go, man!" Jason said, patting him on the shoulder, genuinely impressed by his performance. "Now, we'd better get back over to Angel Grove..."

 _I'm worried about the others._

* * *

Angel Grove Docks

 _I knew it!_

"This is it!" María said, literally shaking with excitement. THIS was what she had been chasing for the last three years! Ever since that night her helicopter was ripped out of the sky by the demon-like monster she was looking at right now – the night the world discovered that there was even more to the Power Rangers than they had all thought: the night that ELEVEN Power Rangers faced an army.

When this new team of Power Rangers had debuted earlier this year, speculation had run rampant. Were these the same Power Rangers who had been protecting us all these years? And, if so, why had they changed their look? Or was this a different team altogether, replacing the originals?

A popular theory that had surfaced was that this new team of Rangers were, in fact, the same Power Rangers who had aided the originals on that night in 1993. María knew better of course. Even though all of her footage had been destroyed when her helicopter crashed, she had seen these Rangers up close. And, with God as her witness, they were here right now fighting alongside the other Power Rangers!

On two other occasions, she believed, this team of Rangers had appeared. Unconfirmed eyewitness accounts had placed two Red Rangers in battle together in 1994, first in Angel Grove Park and later again that day downtown.

Then, last year, when the Rangers were dealing with a giant monster in the city, multiple sightings also placed them in the park at the exact same time – not to mention what Bulk and Skull claimed to have seen earlier that day!

So who are these 'other' Power Rangers? Why do they only appear once a year? Where are they the rest of the time? And why does their appearance always coincide with that of this same monster?

These were the questions she hoped to discover the answers to. Of course, this time, she'd hopefully have some footage to work with!

"Ted, please tell me you're getting this!" she said, excitedly.

"Um..." the cameraman replied.

"What?" she spat. "What is it!?"

"It's...I think there's something wrong with this camera. Check it out," he answered, lowering the television camera down so that María could place her eye against the viewfinder. "You see it?"

She pulled away from the device, looking at the fight scene in confusion, before pressing her eye against it once more.

The monster wasn't there. Not when she looked through the camera, anyway. Somehow, the camera lens was unable to detect the creature. But how was that...

Suddenly, she noticed one of the remaining robotic soldiers staring straight at them – the 'safe' distance they had chosen to observe from apparently not so safe after all! It's metallic face opening, there wasn't enough time for the pair to make a move as the robot opened fire...

The Cog's laser blasts exploded off of Wes's back as he threw himself on top of the two civilians, his body shielding them from the attack.

His back smouldering, the Red Time Force Ranger straightened his arms to push himself up. Looking out through his broken helmet at the two trembling bodies beneath him, he wasn't surprised in the least at the identity of the young Hispanic woman who had once again found her way into the middle of a war zone. "Are you okay? You need to get out of here! NOW!" he yelled, rushing back to battle.

"C'mon!" Ted said, pulling her up to her feet and grabbing his camera. "C'mon!"

Ted leading her away by the hand, María looked back over her shoulder, staring at the Red Ranger as he disposed of the Machine that had fired upon them, her mind running at a million miles an hour at the sudden realisation. "I never forget a face..."

The twisted black spikes penetrating his chest, Prince Gasket found out the hard way how quickly the tables could turn. Pulling the projectiles from his torso, he inspected them closely. Organic. But how could an organic material breach his outer structure like that? What was this creature!?

Contemplating the requirement of this battle, the Earth-Breaker Elite surely in position and his victory already assured, Gasket decided that the risk to himself was not necessary. After all, he would need to look presentable for his coronation.

Chroniton energy now crackling around his entire body, Djolnel smirked at the sight of Gasket's retreat. As inconvenient as the Machines had proven to be, their efforts had been rather inconsequential in the long run. His own departure was now imminent.

Sent tumbling to the ground by the serrated tentacles that lashed out from Djolnel's body, Jen felt her sense of urgency rising faster than the chroniton energy signature displayed in her visor. He couldn't be allowed to escape again! For all those poor souls found dead in the back alleys of Millennium City – the first victims of 'The Dire,' for all those killed in the massacre at the old Time Force Headquarters – the event that set all of this into motion – and, of course, for Ransik – a criminal and murderer himself yet, somehow, his brutal death at the hands of Djolnel was her greatest source of guilt. Not to mention that they still didn't know what purpose the Sands of Time ultimately served and what Djolnel's true plan really was.

She had to stop him...no matter the cost.

With electricity spewing from his body, Djolnel opened the gateway into the timestream, the searing light encompassing everything around him.

Turning away from the blinding blaze, Jen was left with only one option. "Not this time," she muttered, pressing her finger to her wrist. "Hitchhiker. Command lock, override: V5 – Scotts, Jennifer; 221-59, Epsilon E3."

"Jen, what are you doing?" Wes yelled, within earshot of the Pink Time Force Ranger.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Zordon," she said quietly, realising that this was exactly the kind of reckless act he had predicted. "Hitchhiker, activate!"

Watching through the tears of his squinting eyes, Wes could barely make out the image of the woman he loved bursting into chroniton particles and disappearing after Djolnel into the vortex.

"Activate Hitchhiker!" he yelled, purely reactively – little thought as to what exactly he was doing but, to him, little thought was required.

The light faded, the customary thunder-like crash telling all those present that the vortex into the timestream had now closed.

Looking around, it didn't take long for the Rangers to realise that something was amiss.

"Where's Jen?" Trip asked, looking around frantically.

"What just happened!?" Tanya wondered aloud, seconds before a shower of coloured sparks touched down on the ground from which Eric, Rocky and Jason materialised.

"Guys! Are we too late?" the Gold Ranger asked, his eyes scanning the environment for any sign of Djolnel.

"Hey, I just got some crazy data feed in my visor granting me access to something, " Eric said. "Does anybody know what 'Hitchhiker' is? Wait...where's Wes?

 _What the hell just happened here?_

* * *

Machine Moon Base

 _Inconceivable!_

"My Elite Guard – destroyed!" King Aradon screamed, the events of the last hour almost too much to process. "The Pride of the Machine Empire – lying in ruins!"

"Hmph! The Pride of Binarius, perhaps," Gasket scoffed, "but the true power of the Machine Empire lies with the Royal House of Gadgetry! Still, not even an upgrade of my own design was enough to make a formidable force from your 'Elite' scrap metal!"

"You created an abomination!" Aradon roared in retaliation.

"Father, please..." Archerina pleaded.

"DO NOT call me that!" he shouted. "I have NO daughter!"

"Check your tone, peasant!" Gasket retorted.

"How dare you!" Aradon yelled, drawing his sword from its sheath, prompting Gasket to do the same.

"Enough!" Archerina demanded, getting between the two Machines, her bow and arrow trained on King Aradon.

"You would take up arms against your own..." he began to say.

"Own what? Father?" Archerina asked. "I have NO father."

"Bah!" Aradon growled. "I need not waste my time with the likes of you! Zordon's Power Rangers will topple the House of Gadgetry soon enough, leaving no dispute as to who is the one, true King." With those final words, the rival King removed himself from the throne room, returning to his vessel and departing for whence he came.

"The audacity!" screeched Queen Machina.

"It matters not, mother!" Gasket assured her. "We need not handouts from the lower class! The day's setback changes nothing – the Power Rangers WILL fall by my hand! And it shall be I who rules unopposed over the entire Machine Empire."

From the other end of the room, Prince Sprocket balked at his elder sibling's declaration. Unopposed?

 _Not while I'm around, you big jerk!_

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Command Deck-

 _What on Earth were they thinking?_

"Well, this is going to be a fun mission debriefing!" The sarcastic tone was notably out of character for Katie Walker. Then again, none of the Time Force Rangers were really feeling like themselves after today.

"So, this 'Hitchhiker?' Jen and Wes are gonna come down right on top of Djolnel?" Jason asked.

"That was the idea as originally conceived," Trip answered. "When TimeTech cracked the 4-space translocation technique, they also discovered that, by transforming into chroniton particles, it was possible to 'lock on' to someone else's chroniton signature and follow them directly through The timestream without the need of knowing their destination beforehand."

"But we were ALL supposed to do it together," Lucas said. "Get the drop on him and stop him from releasing the Sands."

"But you guys can track Djolnel's energy signature when he comes out of the timestream, right?" Rocky asked. "Whatever point in time he appears, isn't that also where you'll find Jen and Wes?"

"Yeah, they could need your help right now!" Tanya added, concerned that the two missing Rangers could be all alone in battle against the monster at some other time period.

"It's not that simple," Katie answered. "When Djolnel disappears into the timestream, it takes seven to ten days for him to re-emerge. During that time, we have no way of detecting him. If Jen and Wes used the Hitchhiker, then..."

"Then they're off the radar until then, as well," Adam finished.

"But the Hitchhiker wasn't ready," Trip continued. "It hadn't been tested. The risk of quantum-entanglement..."

"She overrode the command-lock," Katie interrupted. "I should have seen something like this coming! She's just been so damned...so...urgh!"

"Hey, this isn't on you," Lucas reassured her. "There was no way you could have stopped her."

"Yeah, you can't blame yourself for this," Tommy added. "I don't think all of us combined could have stopped her."

"The other Rangers are correct, Katie," Zordon's voice bellowed. "Jen's obsession with apprehending Djolnel has sent her down a path of self-destruction. There is only one among you who may be able to save her from herself."

"Wes," said Eric.

"He risked everything by going after her," Katherine noted.

"Well, presuming that our actions today haven't reshaped the course of events, the good news is that ALL of you were together during our encounter last year," Billy reminded them. "Unfortunately, we have no information of what happens in the meantime."

"Guess we just wait and see," Eric said, hopefully.

"Looks like it's that time again," Katie said through a sad smile, putting her arms around Jason.

"Bye, Katie," he replied, knowing any questions he had regarding his forgotten conversation with Jen would need to go unanswered for now.

"You take care, Trip," said Tommy, hugging the Xybrian officer.

"See you in 1995," Adam added.

"Ai-ai-ai. Goodbye, future friends."

"May the Power protect you always, Time Force Rangers," Zordon bellowed.

"Come on, guys," Lucas said, once goodbyes were finished with, "I'm missing my girl..."

 _Let's go home._

* * *

 **powerrangerstimeforceteamuppowerrang**

 **Minerza Region ('Old Newtech City,' 3005 AD)**

Cruger's Crossing

-The Naô Nerza Slums-

 _So this IS where he's been hiding._

Six armed guards. Her intel had been dead on. Pulling herself up and over the eight foot security fence, she was very aware that things already weren't as easy as they used to be. That wouldn't stop her, though.

Creeping quietly across the darkened lawn, the irony wasn't lost on her. Minerza was the mutant capital of the Sanctioned States, or, rather, it used to be – there wasn't a mutant alive who, at some point, hadn't called this area 'home.'

Of course, almost all of them had resided in the filthy slums of which this hilltop house overlooked.

HER house.

The sound of footsteps approaching, she pressed her back against the wall – waiting patiently for the guard to step around the corner, she blew the pink powder into his face as he fumbled to get his weapon into position.

Stepping over the unconscious carcass, she loaded a second cartridge into the tray, the substance a creation of the departed Dr. Ferricks - completely non-lethal in small doses, but highly effective.

"Oops!" she said comically as the sixth armed lookout crumpled to the ground, adding to the trail of bodies in her wake. Quick, quiet and easy. Just the way she...

Surprised by the appearance of an unexpected seventh sentry coming down the stairs with his weapon raised, there was little time for her to further prioritize stealth. "So much for intel!" she hissed, her fingernails extending like long blades, easily slicing through her adversary's gun – his screams filling the air as metal and severed fingers landed on the stairway. "No need for the quiet approach, anymore..."

From behind his desk, he stared at the door of his study with a tepid curiosity, the wailing from outside leaving little doubt that company was imminent. Rico being smashed headfirst through said door pretty much confirmed it.

"Nadira," he greeted, before she had even stepped into view.

"Darwin," she replied.

"Being that this is the first time we've met face to face, I've never had the opportunity to personally express my deepest condolences. Your father's passing greatly saddened me," he said.

"The only thing that saddened you, I'm sure, was that I stepped up to fulfil his duties," Nadira growled, the long claws on her hand dragging along the floor.

"Actually, my dear, that choice left a very profound impression upon me," he said with a sly smile. "That said, do you really think you should be this far from home? What with your current...condition."

"This IS my home," she replied, ignoring his implication.

"Really?" the mutant responded. "Because I can assure you that when I first set up office within this most 'luxurious' accommodation, it appeared many years abandoned."

"You must think yourself quite clever," Nadira said, pacing back and forth in front of Darwin's table, the scoring sound of claws on wood following her, "leading your campaign against my father from the very citadel he once resided in."

"Ah, yes. The big house on top of the hill where the 'Mayor of Mutantville' looked down upon the rest of us 'commoners.' Such a great man was he," Darwin said in a mocking tone.

"The others – YOU – came to him," she corrected. "You all built that town at the bottom of this hill yourselves and of your own accord. YOU appointed HIM."

"You do know that this assault on my men and forceful entry upon my stronghold could be 'misconstrued' as an attempt to intimidate me before our debate this weekend?" Darwin asked, purposely continuing to rile her.

"Intimidate!" Nadira shrieked. "You tried to have me killed, you filthy..."

"A baseless accusation."

"I know Tyrax works for you - everybody knows that bastard works for you!" she said through her teeth.

"Heresy and speculation," Darwin countered. "My party does not condone the actions of Tyrax or any of those who choose to follow him. I would NEVER harm a hair on your pretty pink head. Especially not now that you are with..."

"How do you even know about that?" She had let the first instance go in an attempt to downplay and cast doubt, however, she could no longer pretend to be unconcerned that the mutant before her knew what he shouldn't.

"Oh, my beautiful Nadira. I have eyes and ears everywhere," he laughed, yanking his shirt open to reveal the multiple eyes and ears that decorated his mutant body.

Unimpressed, she flung the desk separating them to the side, a boot to the chest knocking him over in his chair. Her foot pressing down hard upon him, Nadira brandished the long red blades that protruded from her fingers. "And what's to stop me, right now, from leaving you with gaping, bloody holes everywhere?"

"Save your threats," Darwin spat. "Think about it, Nadira! Who has the most to gain? Certainly not me! The daughter of Ransik assassinated on the world stage a week before the most important debate in the short history of our kind? My name - my campaign - besmirched by association with the perceived mutant extremist thought to be responsible!

"No, Nadira. Who REALLY benefits from the Mutant Movement being implicated in a public execution, handed out by the enemy on the street, creating yet another martyr for Mutanity First - and so soon after her father's death. The tragedy!"

Nadira swallowed hard as she looked down her nose at him, not wanting to believe a word he had to say and, yet, being unable to deny that what he said made too much sense.

"Maybe it's time for you to run on back over to the big city and find out who among your 'comrades' on the Force have friends in low places..."

 _Food for thought, isn't it?_

 **erstimeforceteamuppowerrangerstimeforc**

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

 **Next Chapter – 1997: "The Turbo Times"**


	6. 1997

**powerrangerstimeforceteamuppowerrang**

 **Millennium City (3005 AD)**

The Epsilon Facility

 _How can this be happening!?_

Her knees feeling weak beneath her, she gripped onto the sink tightly whilst doing her best not to vomit. This wasn't how things were meant to be. She hadn't even been able to begin coming to terms with the death of her father and now this!? It was all just too much!

Looking into into the teary red eyes that stared back at her in the mirror, Nadira wondered what ever happened to the ruthless, cold hearted mutant warrior who once wreaked war against the humans. SHE would have let nothing stop her from avenging her father – all those in her path eviscerated in her quest! She certainly wouldn't be here, hiding in the washroom, crying and frightened!

She tried to look deep within herself to find out whether any of that fierce warrior remained, when, no longer able to resist the urge, she leaned over the basin and ejected the contents of her stomach.

Gasping for breath at the sudden tightening in her chest, she found herself hyperventilating – her failed attempts to regain control only intensifying her state of panic – as the very walls began to close in around her!

She had to get outside!

Stumbling out into the hall, her eyes darted around as she looked for the nearest exit. What level was she on, again? Wiping the vomit off her chin with the back of her hand, stumbled across the hall – the entire world spinning around her – until the sound of a voice calling her name brought her back to centre.

"Nadira!" Jen yelled, making her way towards her from the other end of the hall. "Nadira, I've...I've been looking all over for you. I really..."

"Not now, Jen," she panted, her heart still racing. "This really, REALLY, isn't a good..."

"No, please," the Pink Time Force Ranger begged, "there's NEVER going to be a good time! I need to tell you – God, it's eating me up inside!" Her eyes were full of tears as she said the words. "Your...your father's death...is on ME. It was my fault, I..."

"Stop! Just stop!" the mutant demanded – uninterested in anyone else's pain right now. "It wasn't YOU who killed my father. Now, please, I just want to be left..."

"That's not true," Jen continued, unable to let the matter go. "It's MY fault he died! I told him NOT to kill Djolnel! It was MY voice inside his head telling him to stop! MY fault that he hesitated! If it wasn't for me, then Ransik would still be al..."

Her brain shook from the impact at which the back of her head smashed against the wall, Nadira's left hand around her throat. Only seconds before, the mutant's eyes had been filled with pain and sadness, now they showed no sign of humanity whatsoever – the terrifying gaze akin to that of Ransik himself!

Biting into her bottom lip so hard that she drew blood, she felt it all rushing back – the monster she had buried deep inside once again brought to the surface! THIS is what she wanted – the adrenaline coursing through her veins in a way that it hadn't in so long! She could kill this Power Ranger RIGHT NOW! The first victim on her road to vengeance!

The sharp tip of Nadira's elongated right index fingernail pressing just underneath her chin, Jen offered no resistance. She had known how this conversation was going to turn out and was prepared to accept the consequences of her mistake. Her failure.

She closed her eyes tightly, overcome by an oddly fulfilling sense of peace as she waited for the inevitable...

But it never came. She felt the sharp point retract suddenly from against her skin before the vice-like grip around her neck was released. When she opened her eyes, the Time Force officer was met not by the monstrous gaze of the daughter of Ransik, nor by the look of total devastation that had filled those eyes beforehand, but by a blank stare, completely devoid of emotion, looking straight through her as though she wasn't even there.

Seconds passed before the pink haired mutant just wandered off in an apparent daze, walking right past the assembly of shocked onlookers and through the doorway across the hall.

With her back still against the wall, Jen took a deep breath before she noticed that all eyes were on her. She pulled herself together. "What are you all, on a break? Back to work!" she ordered, the crowd dispersing as they went back about their business.

Moving briskly into the empty transport tube nearby, Jen maintained the short lived facade until she was completely out of view of anyone else – slumping against the door as soon as it was closed.

Lightly banging her head against the surface, she cursed herself for her tactless methods moments before. The altercation had done little to alleviate her own internal torment, much less help Nadira find any peace. If anything, Jen feared, she had only made things worse.

 _I'm sorry, Nadira..._

 **erstimeforceteamuppowerrangerstimeforc**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable characters, places, names etc. in this non profit fanfiction._

 _Rated T as chapters contain violence and occasional mild bad language._

 **Power Rangers: Time Force Team-Up**

 **Chapter 1997: "The Turbo Times"**

 **Part 1**

 **Angel Grove, California**

Angel Grove Beach

 _Man, did I need this!_

Sprawled out on his sun lounger, Carlos Vallerte released a sigh of relief as he let go of the tension that had plagued his body. This day of relaxation was proving to be just what the doctor ordered! A second sigh passed his lips, one that transformed into something more like a purr.

"So it would be safe to presume that you're quite comfortable there, Carlos?" came the girl's voice to his left.

"Don't ever make me get up..." he muttered from behind his sunglasses.

Ashley Hammond laughed at his response, fairly certain that he had fallen asleep as soon as the words had rolled off his tongue. She was in complete agreement with her friend, however: today was sorely needed!

It had only been a few weeks since their lives had been changed in a way that they could never have imagined possible.

They became the Power Rangers.

The torch passed to them and, with it, the task of defending the world from attacks that the human race weren't equipped to contend with – extra terrestrial assaults that could only be repelled by the Power now entrusted to them.

She looked to her right, the sight of the two figures melting into their loungers leaving little doubt that her other teammates were also on the same page.

"How did they do it?"

The question was posed by the girl who had become not only a fellow Ranger but also her best friend.

"How did they manage to balance being a Power Ranger with...everything else!?" the new Pink Ranger, Cassie Chan, elaborated. "I mean, three weeks into being a Power Ranger and I'm..."

"Absolutely exhausted?" T.J. Johnson finished for her, pushing his sunglasses up over his eyes with his index finger. As new field leader of the Turbo Power Rangers, he knew all too well of the trials that the new team had faced since accepting the responsibility of Earth's protectors.

Cassie nodded at the Red Ranger's interjection. "I think my grades are starting to slip," she admitted. "When I get home, I just can't focus long enough to study. Like, my brain just can't take in any more information than it already has. And I haven't even been able to think about my music!"

"I know what you mean," Carlos said, apparently not as asleep as he had appeared to be. "I can't even remember the last time I made football practice. Being a Ranger is just..."

"Everything," Ashley interrupted. "We haven't had time to focus on anything else."

"Who knew being a superhero would be so difficult?" T.J. added. It was true. Not only had the new team been called upon to deal with the continuing attacks on the planet from the intergalactic 'pirate queen,' Divatox, but it had been insisted upon by their mentor, Dimitria, that the new Rangers study the information contained in the Power Chamber's database in order to acquaint themselves with the tribulations of their predecessors and to familiarise themselves with the various other forces that could at any time resurface and threaten the way of life: The Machine Empire, Master Vile, Lord Zedd and Rita, the Varox – the threats seemed endless!

"Do you think they made the right decision?" Cassie had been afraid to ask the question. "I mean, were we really the right choice to replace them?"

The question was one that each of them had asked themselves many times over and, as of yet, none of them were truly sure of the answer. After all, they were just ordinary teenagers. What the hell actually qualified them to take on such a monumental responsibility!?

"I'll tell you somebody that never questioned it," T.J. said, motioning across the beach to the Blue Turbo Ranger, Justin Stewart. At only twelve years old, Justin wasn't only the youngest member of the team, he was the youngest Ranger to EVER wield the Power. He was also, ironically, the most experienced member of the current roster, his predecessor having retired several months before the others, and, judging by the way he had been racing up and down the beach for the last half hour, he wasn't finding the life of a superhero anywhere near as strenuous.

"Does he EVER get tired?" Ashley wondered out loud.

"Man, to be young again," T.J. mused, taking a sip of his soda.

"He's only, what? Four years younger than us?" Cassie said. "We're not THAT old!"

"Tell that to my aching bones," Carlos grumbled, receiving a snicker from both Ashley and T.J.

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

"Oh, God, they even call you in on your day off!" Cassie complained, only half joking, as Justin rushed over towards them at the sound of his communicator beeping.

Huddling around their team leader, the other four Rangers created something of a barrier to those around them as T.J. held the wrist device close to his face.

"We're here, go ahead," he answered, quietly.

"Yo-yo-yo, Rangers," came the voice of Alpha 6 over the communicator transmission, "y'all need to get your asses on over to the Power Chamber right away – we got's something of an emergency in development!"

The Rangers exchanged glances. The droid's comical faux New York accent could often fail to convey the sense of urgency behind what he was saying, however, that was not the case on this occasion.

"We're on our way, Alpha," the Red Turbo Ranger responded, he and his teammates already moving off of the sand and towards the woodland cover on the other side of the road.

"I think our day off just got cancelled," Ashley sighed.

 _No rest for the weary._

* * *

 **Secret Location, California**

The Power Chamber

-Command Deck-

 _He's talking way to fast!_

"Alpha, slow down!" T.J. pleaded to the frantic robot.

"I can't slow down – YOU need to speed up!" came the response.

"Rangers, time is indeed our enemy at this moment," Dimitria stated from within her energy tube.

"What's going on!?" Ashley asked anxiously, already very unsettled by Alpha 6's behaviour.

"An emergency protocol left in place by Zordon and Alpha 5 has alerted us to an incoming breach in the space-time continuum," their mentor explained. "The manner in which they were able to devise the means to predict such an occurrence is unknown as is the origin of the temporal disturbance, itself."

"I don't really follow?" Carlos admitted.

"Yeah, we're all kind of new around here and we're still separating our temporal disturbances from our Turbo Megazords," Cassie remarked.

"In about eight minutes, a vortex through time is going to open in Angel Grove Park and we have no idea who or what is gonna come through!" Alpha 6 answered sharply.

"Well why didn't you just say so?" the Pink Ranger muttered sarcastically.

"Wait a minute," Justin chimed in, "Zordon and Alpha 5 had to know what was going on. Didn't they leave any information in the database?"

"A substantial amount of energy is required in detecting and monitoring the temporal activity," Dimitria noted. "Several tertiary systems are currently offline while power is being rerouted to primary operations. I have already attempted to contact Eltar in an attempt to talk with Zordon directly but our long range communications are also being affected.

"So we have nothing to go on," T.J. said.

"That's not entirely true. We got this..." Alpha commented, a press of a button opening a hidden compartment on the floor which unveiled an unusual object.

"THIS is it? This is what we have to go on? An...hourglass?" Ashley's words were dripping with confusion. She had no idea what to make of the glowing canister atop the platform that had raised out of the ground.

 _What are we supposed to do with that!?_

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _Whoa!_

The blinding light came from nowhere. Turning his head away, the Red Turbo Ranger felt a wave of anxiousness wash over him. Whatever they were waiting on, it was on the other end of this light and none of them had any idea of what to expect.

The Rangers had arrived minutes before and instructed all of the civilians in the immediate vicinity to vacate the area before taking position in the high trees to wait for the 'breach' to occur. The time for waiting was now over.

The blaze was gone as suddenly as it had appeared, its disappearance coinciding with a loud crash. Looking back around, the Rangers observed cautiously the sinister figure lurking below them.

"What is that thing!?" Justin whispered from behind Carlos, the twelve year old now possessing the body of a fully grown man beneath his Ranger costume, courtesy of the Morphin Grid.

"I'm not sure," the Green Ranger replied, "but it doesn't look friendly."

"What's that in his hand?" Cassie asked Ashley, her line of sight partially obscured by tree branches. "Is it just me, or does that look like..."

"An hourglass," her friend confirmed. "That's not a coincidence."

T.J. also noticed the unlikely similarity between the object in the being's hand and the one back at the Power Chamber. "Alpha, I think I might know what we're supposed to do with that hourglass thing," he said quietly into his communicator. "Be on standby." Motioning to his teammates perched in the trees across from him, he drew his Auto Blaster from its holster. T.J. was never one to jump headfirst into a situation without knowing what he was dealing with but he also trusted his gut, and it was telling him that this thing wasn't a friend and that they had to make their move NOW.

"Here we are, again," Djolnel muttered to himself, the sight of Angel Grove Park immediately recognisable to him. When last he was here, he made the mistake of letting his ego dictate his actions and it almost cost him everything. No such error would be made on this occasion. Leaning over to place the device into the ground, he was suddenly very aware of just how still the air was in the normally boisterous park – the usual screams and panic that he was met with upon his arrival replaced by the soothing sound of birds singing. Something was amiss...

Turning his gaze upwards, the monster launched a twisted black spike from its hand, the projectile colliding with the Green Turbo Ranger and knocking him out of the tree to the ground.

"So much for the element of surprise!" Ashley remarked, opening fire with her weapon before the monster released a cluster of the projectiles from his body that forced the rest of the Rangers to abandon their position in the trees.

"I'm okay," Carlos confirmed as the others formed around him.

"Careful, guys, we don't know what this thing is capable of!" the Red Ranger instructed.

"Well, let's find out!" Justin said, lunging towards their mysterious enemy.

"Justin, wait!" T.J. called after him, the young Ranger paying no heed as he engaged the monster with his Turbo Blade, leaving the others no choice but to join him in his attack.

Easily evading Cassie's scissor kick, Djolnel dropped underneath The Pink Ranger and tossed her over his head. Carlos fared no better – a meeting with his enemy's forearm blades, his reward. A charging headbutt to the solar plexus put T.J. on the ground hard, the wind momentarily knocked out of him.

"Are you okay!?" Cassie asked, helping him to his feet.

"Ugh, yeah," he groaned. "This guy seems awfully fond of that hourglass, huh?"

"You think that's his play?" the Pink Ranger asked.

The Red Ranger nodded. "Alpha said the hourglass back at the Power Chamber was some kind of 'force-field generator,' right? If we can get it away from him long enough to make the switch..."

"Then he traps himself!" Cassie said, realising where T.J. was going.

"How are we going to do that?" Carlos asked. "We haven't even been able to touch this guy yet!"

"I've got a plan," T.J. replied. "Listen up..."

The battle ongoing, none of the participants noticed the conspicuous bronze periscope that had broken the surface of Angel Grove Lake, a very interested spectator watching their every move...

"Argh!" Justin cried, a monstrous haymaker sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Hiyah!"

Turning around to see the Yellow Turbo Ranger flipping straight towards him, Djolnel reached out and grabbed her by the throat – stopping her in mid-air – before slamming her ferociously down into the ground. Ashley kicked her legs helplessly, her futile struggle to peel the fingers from around her neck only encouraging the monster to tighten his grasp even more.

Djolnel's mouth curled into a sadistic smile – the sight of her writhing form inducing within him a euphoric feeling he had only ever found in crushing the life out of another being.

"Now! Turbo R.A.M!" On the Red Ranger's order, the Robotic Arsenal Mobilizer appeared from nowhere – the miniature vehicle knocking the hourglass canister out of Djolnel's hand as it raced past at high speed.

Ashley gasped as the grip was released from around her neck, the monster far more concerned with losing hold of the hourglass, just as T.J. had anticipated.

What he hadn't anticipated, however, was the mass of prehensile black tendrils that sprouted unexpectedly from their adversary's torso – snatching the Turbo R.A.M. off of the ground.

"What the hell?" Cassie remarked.

"Guess we'll need to improvise!" T.J. declared, urging the Pink Ranger to follow his lead. "Carlos, get that hourglass!"

Its wheels still spinning furiously as it was suspended above the ground, the R.A.M. was suddenly pulled apart by the wiry appendages – the five Power Weapons from which it was constructed scattering through the air. Plucking his Turbo Lightning Sword from the blue sky backdrop in mid somersault, T.J. dragged the blade across Djolnel's forearm spikes, an attack meant to distract rather than maim – the three pink energy bolts, courtesy of Cassie's Wind Fire bow, sinking into the monster's chest intended to do the real damage.

Their enemy preoccupied, Carlos looked to take advantage. A shower of silver sparks pouring into his hand, he gripped his fingers around the glowing blue hourglass that materialised – physically identical to the object that lay meters away on the grass.

"Alpha, can you teleport the monster's hourglass back to the Power Chamber?" he asked into his communicator.

"No, siree," the droid responded over the transmission. "The computers aren't able to lock it down. You'll need to teleport yourself back here with it."

"Understood," he confirmed, preparing to make the switch.

Two hard slashes sending the Pink Ranger reeling, Djolnel prepared to impale her with a pointed spear produced from his body when he caught a peripheral glimpse of something most disturbing...

"Trickery!" he growled at the sight of a second hourglass, swatting the Green Turbo Ranger across the park with a single tentacle before he could make the transition, the duplicate hourglass flying out of Carlos's hands and landing in the lake with a plop.

"Don't worry, I got it!" Justin yelled, making a break towards the water.

"Justin, look out!" Ashley shouted, her warning too late to stop the black tentacles from intercepting the young Ranger.

"Dammit!" T.J. cursed, his plan falling apart before his eyes. "Guys, we need to regroup before..."

An eruption of white light in the sky above stopped him in mid sentence, a thunderous crash closely following.

"What the heck is that!?" Justin cried, pointing up at the strange vessel that had appeared in the Angel Grove sky. None of his teammates had the answer.

The vortex parting like blazing white curtains around its form, the Time Shuttle burst out of the timestream. Barely affected by the jarring change in environment, Lucas immediately manoeuvred the shuttle into the best point of vantage to observe the scene below.

"The Rangers have already engaged Djolnel!" Katie exclaimed, looking down from aboard the shuttle.

"Look!" Wes added, pointing to the glowing object lying on the ground. "He hasn't released the Sands, yet!"

Jen felt a nervous excitement come over her. This was exactly the opportunity they had been waiting for. "Circuit?"

"I have a lock on the target!" the robotic bird declared.

"Cut him down," she ordered.

The Time Shuttle's Railgun wailing as it prepared to fire, Djolnel burst into a sprint towards the canister – no desire to once again test his durability against the weapon – high velocity rounds popping at his heels.

"Not so fast!" T.J. ordered, he and the others forming a line between Djolnel and the object. They had no idea what exactly was going on but it stood to reason that they couldn't allow this being to get his hands back on that hourglass, at least until they could figure out who he was and what his intentions truly were.

With the Time Shuttle coming round for a second attack and a team of Rangers standing in his path, Djolnel's choices were limited. His tentacles retracting back into his body, he engaged the Turbo Rangers in close combat, a tactic to ensure that his time travelling enemies would be unable to open fire.

"Circuit, reload!" Jen ordered.

"We can't open fire now!" the robot insisted. "With the way he's moving amongst those Rangers, I calculate over an 89% probability that we'll hit someone other than Djolnel!"

"Jen, they can't hold him off alone – we need to get down there!" Trip cried, watching the battle on the ground with concern.

"Bring us back around, Lucas – get us right on top of him," she instructed, unknowingly giving their enemy exactly what he wanted.

Disposing of the Yellow Turbo Ranger as the Time Shuttle's shadow fell directly over him, Djolnel struck quickly – four long spikes firing from his body that surged towards the target with uncanny precision.

"Repulsors are offline," Lucas grumbled, the vessel still rumbling from the impact. "I can't keep her in the air."

Unable to hide her frustration that she had once again underestimated their enemy, Jen kicked the base of the main control unit, mouthing obscenities as she threw up her hands in anger.

"Hey, keep it together!" Wes said. "We're not done, yet!"

"Inertial dampeners are out, too!" Circuit said, having run a diagnostic of the shuttle's systems.

"Lucas, can you land?" Katie asked.

The pilot huffed at her question, slightly insulted that she even had to ask. "I can put us down," he confirmed, "but you might want to strap yourselves in..."

"It's coming down!" Justin yelled.

"Everybody, get clear!" T.J. ordered, the Turbo Rangers scattering to avoid being crushed under the fast falling shuttle, his concern unwarranted as the vessel glided over their heads to crash land into the lake with a mighty splash.

Djolnel snorted. The threat posed from the shuttle had been eliminated, but he was aware that he had only traded one danger for another. He knew what was to come next. The Sands had to be deployed before...

The Red Turbo Ranger's feet dropkicking him in the spine knocked him flat on his face.

"We're not done here!" T.J declared, backed up by the rest of the Turbo Rangers as the monster quickly sprung back to his feet. "Ashley, check out that ship – somebody could be hurt!"

"I...I don't think that's necessary..." she stammered, almost too shocked to speak.

"Is...is that..?" Justin began to ask, unable to even finish his question.

"It can't be..." Carlos muttered.

"Am I seeing things!?" Cassie asked, genuinely concerned that her eyes were playing tricks on her.

"If you are, its contagious," T.J. answered, his eyes wide with surprise beneath his visor. Of all the things that could have come to pass on this day, THIS was the one thing he would NEVER have predicted – five Power Rangers standing atop the aircraft floating on the lake.

 _More Rangers!?_

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Command Deck-

 _I think I need to get my eye checked!_

Staring into the screen mounted on the wall of the command deck, Alpha 6 was convinced that his optic implants were malfunctioning. "Dimitria, I'm seeing in multiples over here!"

"Another team of Power Rangers have emerged from a hole through time," the Inquirian confirmed. "Alpha 6, it is imperative that we retrieve the required information from the Power Chamber database."

"I'm workin' on it, I'm workin' on it!" the flustered droid replied.

"Please hurry, Alpha," Dimitria pleaded. "I fear that there is much more at stake than that which we are currently able to perceive. It is imperative that we learn all we can about our current situation."

 _TIME is of the essence._

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _What the hell is going on here!?_

Watching as these mysterious new Rangers wasted no time in engaging the monster, the Turbo team had MANY questions.

"Nobody ever said anything about there being other Rangers?" Ashley said.

"Justin?" Carlos asked, wondering if there was something that the young Ranger hadn't told them.

"Don't look at me!" he answered, emphatically.

"What if...what if these guys have been on standby this whole time?" Cassie proposed. "Just waiting for us to slip up?"

The ramifications of this theory were huge. When the mantle was passed to them from the former Turbo Rangers, it was done so with the understanding that they were being entrusted to carry on that legacy and defend the planet...but if that was the case, then why had this other Ranger team appeared? And from where?

"Let's not jump to conclusions, just yet," T.J. said, always the voice of reason. "It looked to me that they arrived here in much the same way that the monster did."

"Wait," Justin began excitedly, "are you saying they're from the..."

"We'll figure out the details later," the Turbo leader said. "Right now, we've got business to take care of!"

Wes groaned as he struggled to free himself of the familiar black bonds that entangled him. "This is getting really old..." he grumbled.

"Then let's make this our last dance," Djolnel suggested, the spikes on his forearms elongating as he dragged the Red Time Force Ranger towards him.

"Mind if I cut in?" T.J. quipped, his blade slicing through the tentacles that bound his time travelling counterpart.

Free of his binds, Wes connected with a hard kick to the monster's body that sent it staggering back right into the attack of the other Rangers.

"Thanks," he acknowledged.

"Don't mention it," T.J replied. "So, you know this guy?"

"Unfortunately," came the response.

"Any tips?"

"Yeah, get down!" Wes shouted, grabbing T.J. by the shoulder and dragging him to the ground as two black spikes flew directly over their heads.

With the Turbo Rangers reasserting themselves into the fray, Jen felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. They had a chance to end this right now. After everything that this bastard had done – including everything he had put THEM through – they finally had him where they wanted him. "Djolnel, you're under arrest!" she declared. "Stand down now or we'll be taking you back in pieces."

The monster's mouth curled into a devious smirk. He'd heard such threats from her too many times before and, once again, she would be denied her prize. The ground beneath their feet shook as Djolnel's tentacles wormed their way below the surface.

"MOVE!" Katie yelled, the ten Rangers diving out of the way as the ground erupted all around them.

"Shit!" Cassie yelped, barely evading the danger of a dozen serrated black lashes dancing like charmed cobras.

"Look!" Lying on his stomach, Trip pointed past the field of tentacles to their enemy as one of the appendages placed the radiant blue container into his hand.

"Stop him!" Lucas yelled, clambering towards the monster.

"Too late. Again," Djolnel taunted, twisting the hourglass to activate the release mechanism, when it suddenly occurred to him: why was the device wet?

Almost in panic, he released his grasp before the process could be initiated, the object snatched by both hands of the Blue Time Force Ranger just as it completed its rotation. To the shock of everyone, Lucas was inexplicably surrounded by a debilitating field of glowing blue energy – his whole body going into an excruciating spasm that prevented him from letting go of the device.

"Arrrgggghhhh!"

"Lucas!" Wes yelled.

"What's happening!?" shouted Trip, running to his friend's aid.

Djolnel looked around in a state of confusion, his tentacles retracting back into him along the route they carved through the Earth. This wasn't possible – he had been careful not to lose sight of the device for any length of time after it had been knocked from his grasp! The Rangers had had no opportunity to replace it with their duplicate, especially since he disposed of it by...

The lake!

Turning around quickly, he all but forgot about his adversaries as he made his way into the water.

"Djolnel! Djolnel!" Jen shouted after him, the monster not responding as he disappeared beneath the water's surface. Before she could descend into the lake after him, she was stopped in her tracks by the sound of her teammates calling her name – all of them standing over the screaming, convulsing body of the Blue Time Force Ranger, none of them having been able to pass the energy field to remove the canister from his grip.

Katie's eyes were filled with tears behind her visor – she had never heard Lucas scream like this before! "What do we do!?" she shouted, the Pink Time Force Ranger unable to offer an answer at this time.

The Turbo Rangers looked on in horror at the consequences of their failed plan.

"T.J, do something!" Cassie begged.

"I...I..." the Red Turbo Ranger stammered, his body trembling. With nothing to offer, he raised his wrist communicator to his face and opened a transmission to the Power Chamber. "Alpha, come in! We need your help!"

 _What have I done?_

 **End of Part 1**

* * *

 **Part 2**

The Power Chamber

-Turbo Zord Parking Hangar-

 _Why...why is it so dark?_

"Agh!"

Lucas sprung up off of the cold metal floor, his body still tingling from the effects of...of...what the hell just happened to him? And where the hell was he now?

"Lucas, are you..."

"I'm okay," he answered quickly, rejecting the Yellow Time Force Ranger's assistance. "I'm just...where...how did we get here?" he asked, looking around the dimly lit room.

"We were teleported," Wes answered.

"So THIS is the Command Centre?" Circuit asked, Trip carrying him in his arms as he stepped out of the Time Shuttle.

"This isn't the Command Centre," Jen corrected, taking in the details of her surroundings. "At least, not the one WE know. Lucas, you good?"

"What was that back there?" the Blue Ranger groaned, wiggling his fingers because his hands felt like they had gone to sleep. "I remember grabbing the canister and then...SOMETHING hit me."

"It was some kind of energy-field," Katie said. "But...it seemed to originate from the canister?"

"There was something wrong with it," Wes pointed out. "Did you see? Djolnel, he let go of it – almost tossed it away, really."

"Urgh..." Lucas groaned again, walking away from the rest of the team.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Katie called after him. "That was a big hit to be taking only a day after being medically discharged."

"I'll be fine!" he snapped. "I just need to walk it..." His words trailed off as he caught his first glimpse of what lay on the other end of the Time Shuttle – five heavily fortified multi-purpose vehicles, all lined up and ready to roll out at a moment's notice. "Whoa. Nice wheels."

The whirring sound of doors sliding open captured all of their attentions, a most familiar looking figure appearing through the opening bringing a smile to each of their faces.

"Alpha!" Katie greeted, excitedly.

"Yo-yo-yo, that's my name, don't wear it out! A brand like that don't come cheap!" the droid responded.

"Alpha? Why are you talking like that?" she chuckled, both confused and slightly amused by his accent.

"Hmm, I'm-a-thinking you've got me confused with some other 'Alpha.' Allow me to introduce myself: Alpha 6, at your service."

"Alpha...SIX?" Trip repeated, checking that he hadn't misheard.

"What did I say about wearing out the name?" the robot replied. "Now, if y'all would be so kind as to follow me? Your presence has been requested and it would be much appreciated if you would attend."

 _Maybe help clear a few things up for us!_

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Command Deck-

 _Man, this is just weird!_

His helmet tucked under his arm, T.J. tapped his feet nervously, unsure of what exactly to expect from these 'other' Rangers.

"You maybe wanna pee before they get here?" Cassie asked, her sarcasm merely a deflection of her own anxiousness.

Dimitria had already briefed them of her and Alpha's findings in the Power Chamber databanks but, with Alpha already gone to collect the Time Force Rangers from the Zord Hangar, there was very little time to adjust to the idea that the visitors hailed from over a thousand years in the future. It didn't help their trepidation that their mentor had insisted they greet the time travellers with their helmets off, leaving them feeling slightly exposed.

"What do we even say to them?" Ashley mused, the pressure mounting to make a good second impression after their battle plan went awry.

Carlos merely took a deep breath, brushing his hair back with his fingers, and even the normally wide eyed Justin found himself hiding behind his teammates, suddenly feeling extremely self conscious.

The doors sliding open, all of the Turbo Rangers' bodies turned rigid as they prepared to come face to face with the Rangers of the future.

"Welcome to the Power Chamber, Time Force Rangers," Dimitria greeted as Alpha 6 led the team into the control room, the fact that their faces were still concealed by their helmets doing little to relieve the already heightened tensions.

"And you are?" Jen asked bluntly, her intention not to be rude but merely to push past introductions as quickly as possible so that they may return their focus to the mission. Of course, the woman had also addressed them by their team designation and Jen never liked to be at such a disadvantage.

"And what happened to Zordon?" added Katie, curious as to why the great wizard's energy tube was now host to someone other.

"Zordon of Eltar no longer oversees this post. I am Dimitria, of Inquiris," she replied. "It is indeed a great honour to make your acquaintance."

Inquiris? Great, thought Jen, not enamoured at the prospect of receiving more questions than answers.

None of the Time Force Rangers taking the opportunity to introduce themselves, the Red Turbo Ranger stepped in to fill the break in proceedings. "Hey. I'm T.J."

"Cassie," the Pink Ranger next to him said, forcing a smile.

"Carlos."

"I'm Ashley."

"My name's Justin," the pint-sized Blue Ranger said, emerging from behind his teammates, generating exactly the kind of reaction he had feared.

"...YOU'RE a Power Ranger!?" Lucas said in disbelief, wondering for a second if this was some kind of joke.

"Yeah! So?" Carlos snapped back in defence of his young teammate. "Why are the Power Rangers of the 31st century carrying around a robot duck!"

"I'm not a duck! I'm Circuit!"

"Enough," Jen ordered before returning her attention to Dimitria. "What do you know about our mission?"

"Zordon and Alpha 5 left records of their previous encounters with both you and your enemy," Dimitria explained. "Unfortunately, we were unable to immediately access those files, leaving us ill-prepared to execute the countermeasures they had left in place."

"What countermeasures?" Trip enquired.

"A device with the appearance of a glowing hourglass," Alpha 6 answered.

"Hold on a second," Lucas said after a brief hesitation, "so the canister I snatched off of Djolnel wasn't the real deal?"

"A decoy," Dimitria confirmed. "A trap intended to capture and contain the enemy that, unfortunately, did not go as planned."

"I'll say..." Lucas huffed.

"It was my play," T.J declared, stepping forward. "I made the call without fully understanding what it was we were dealing with. It's on me."

"Now is not the time for blame," his mentor consoled.

"She's right," Wes assured. "Our goal out there was the same – it's still the same."

"Djolnel. Do we know where he is?" Jen asked, keeping things on topic.

"We lost track of him once he went into the lake," Alpha replied.

"Dammit," she cursed quietly. "And the REAL canister?"

"It's location is uncertain," Dimitria replied, much to the Time Force leader's dismay.

"What is so important about this canister, exactly?" Ashley asked. "I mean, what do the 'Sands of Time' actually do?"

The Time Force Rangers exchanged glances. "We don't know," Trip admitted.

"You don't know!?" Cassie said with a look of surprise on her face. "All of this and nobody even knows what this fucking thing does!?"

"We've never been able to retrieve a canister before the Sands were released," Wes explained.

"But he has released them at every point in time that we have chased him to," Katie further elaborated. "He prioritises it above all else. Whatever the Sands are, it's all part of his endgame."

"I still don't understand how the monster ended up with the decoy," Carlos said. "He knocked it into the lake before I could make the switch."

"Alpha, is it possible to review the footage on the viewing monitor?" Justin suggested. "Maybe we'll see something that we didn't before."

"Let's roll it back, Justin," the droid replied, accessing the system's visual memory banks.

"What are we even looking for?" Cassie asked, watching the monitor along with the other Rangers as it played back the events of the battle.

"Hey, did you see that?" Katie said, suddenly, something in the footage having caught her attention. "There was some kind of...blur?"

"Something moved past the canister!" Trip finished for her, his eye drawn to the same thing. "Something fast!"

"Alpha, can you slow it down?" requested Ashley.

"One step ahead of ya, Ashley," he replied, already adjusting the settings on the console to rerun the footage once again – this time, at less than a tenth of the speed.

"What...what is that?" Wes asked of the red and purple streak that worked its way across the screen.

"It looks like...a person?" T.J. said.

"They were the one who switched the device!" Circuit exclaimed.

"How could anybody be that fast!?" Ashley wondered out loud.

"Uh-oh," Justin uttered, a look of concern on his face.

"Justin, what?" Cassie asked.

"I think I know who...WHAT that is," he replied. "Freeze the image, Alpha."

Obliging, the robot replayed the footage one more time, pausing the video and zooming in closer in an attempt to get a better look at the fast moving interloper.

"Uh, guys," the Blue Turbo Ranger gulped, the still-blurry image clear enough to leave no doubt in his mind as to the identity of the being in question, "I know who has the hourglass..."

 _Shouldn't really come as much of a surprise._

* * *

The Subcraft (20km below Angel Grove Lake)

-Control Room-

 _Ooh, this is so exciting!_

"Show me."

As she requested, the nefarious looking figure presented her with his acquisition, the dingy control room of the underwater vessel illuminated by its brilliant blue glow.

"I love it, I love it!" she said, gazing at the object for a few seconds before passing it over to her chief science officer.

"Thank you, my queen," the misshapen monstrosity said, sitting the hourglass on the surface in front of him to begin his examination.

Rubbing her hands in anticipation, Divatox took a moment to admire the dripping wet figure who had stolen the object from right under her enemies' noses.

The Demon Racer.

Having fallen in his last battle against the Turbo Power Rangers, barely surviving that encounter, the Racer had since been outfitted with state of the art cybernetic enhancements, woven directly into his spinal cord, that made him faster and more dangerous than ever before! Retrieving the object had been a successful test of his capabilities. It was almost time to put her plan into action.

"Rygog," she called over to her second-in-command, a tall, gnarly being wearing an awkwardly composed armour. "How are things progressing with..."

She stopped in mid-sentence as she noticed that Porto had finished his analysis.

Giggling gleefully, the purple haired 'pirate queen' could wait no longer. "Tell me, tell me: what is it?"

Hesitating, the rotund miscreant stared blankly out through the porthole-like visor of his costume, his mouth hanging open as he considered the best way to answer the question.

"Porto?"

"Um, well..." he replied, realising that there was NO good way to answer. "I'm not actually sure," he admitted, cringing in preparation for the inevitable outburst.

"What was that?" Divatox asked, fluttering her eyelashes with a smile on her face. "Could you say that again? Because it sounded A LOT like you said you don't know what this is?"

"Um...that's...um..." Porto stammered as he, once again, sought to provide an answer that would please his master, only to, once again, realise that nothing he could say would suffice.

"I want to know what this is!" she screamed, shoving the stalky henchman against the wall. "I want to know what it DOES! I want to know what it's WORTH! And I want to know why I suddenly have DOUBLE the amount of Power Rangers out there fighting for it!"

"Uh, Aunty D?"

"Not now, Elgar!" she roared, her sights remaining firmly on the cowering science officer. "It's YOUR job to answer these questions for me – THAT is the sole reason why you are here!" she continued, pressing her finger against Porto's visor. "If YOU can't tell me what that is, then I'll replace you with somebody who can!"

"Aunty D?" Elgar called out again, his face pressed against the lens of the Subcraft periscope.

"What?" she yelled, storming towards her nephew, furious at his interruption.

"I was just going to say that you could maybe ask THAT guy," he suggested, stepping aside and motioning towards the observation instrument.

Intrigued, Divatox swatted Elgar with the back of her hand before peering through the periscope to see a lone dark figure swimming underwater.

"Hmmm," she said quietly. "Rygog! Put the kettle on!"

 _Mamma's having company over..._

* * *

The Subcraft

-Lock-out Chamber-

 _What is this?_

His feet touching down on the metal floor as the water in which he had been floating drained out of the chamber, he stepped through the doorway that opened before him.

Only a moment ago, he had been scouring the lake for some sign of the device when, absurdly, he was swallowed by a giant mechanical fish. Walking down the narrow corridor, it was now obvious that he was aboard some kind of underwater mobile base. He wondered what the likelihood was that the Sands hadn't also found their way here.

Another doorway opened at the far end of the corridor, the faint sound of voices coming from beyond barely detectable over the echoey clang of his own footsteps. Clearly, he was being summoned.

Entering the control room, Djolnel was greeted by an army of aquatic-looking beings, armoured and standing shoulder to shoulder in a staggered formation as far as he could see.

His body twitched as he prepared to remove the creatures from his path when, instead, they began parting to the sides – more of them following in kind with every step he took to form an aisle leading him to his appointed destination. Finally, only two beings stood before him, different from the rest (presumably, from higher within the organisation's hierarchy), parting themselves to unveil, at the aisle's end, his apparent host...

"Welcome to your local Diva-station!" Divatox announced, posing with hand on hip to no visible reaction from her 'guest.'

"Now, look at you," she said, chewing her bottom lip as she slowly walked around the being for a more thorough 'inspection.' "Look. At. You," she repeated, running her gloved fingertips across his back.

"Where is the device?" Djolnel asked, unimpressed.

"Device? Hmm, you're going to have to be a teeny bit more specific than that," she replied. "You pick up all manners of 'doodads' when you're sailing the seven galaxies."

"I know it's here," he growled, his patience wavering.

"You know," she continued, the two now almost nose-to-nose, "I just realised: you look a LOT like my next husband..."

His black hand snatching her by the throat, the aisle of crewmembers fell back into formation behind him – boxing him in.

"Mmmm. I like a man who plays rough," Divatox purred, her long lizard-like tongue extending from her mouth to lick his face.

"Do I look like I'm playing!? he asked, his tightening grip offering help in reaching the correct answer.

Closing in tighter around the pair, only a gesture of Divatox's hand kept her concerned crew at bay. She was never going to be able to appeal to this being's sense of pleasure – she could see that now! All he cared about was his missing property.

"Maybe...urk!" she choked. "Maybe we can reach some kind of arrangement?"

 _Preferably BEFORE I die of strangulation._

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Turbo Zord Parking Hangar-

 _He knew exactly where to hit us._

Cursing under his breath, he removed the already-degrading organic spike lodged in the underside of the Time Shuttle's left wing and peeled back what was left of the splintered panel to properly evaluate the extent of the damage.

Either Djolnel was the luckiest shot on the planet or his knowledge of 4-space mechanics went beyond even what they had previously believed.

The damage to the repulsors wasn't the problem. With the Power Chamber's resources at his disposal, and with Circuit's help, he was certain that he could have them producing at least the minimum required output to safely accommodate a 4-space transit. The inertial compensators, however, he wasn't quite so confident about.

It looked possible that, by cannibalizing the more damaged left wing compensator, he would be able to restore the right wing compensator to a sufficient degree of functionality. One compensator could, theoretically, do the job but not without a way to equally balance the inertial field properties – the shuttle would be torn to pieces by the rigours of the timestream LONG before they made it back to the year 3005.

Sliding himself out from underneath the shuttle, he flinched in surprise at the sight of a face hovering directly over him. "God! What are you doing?"

"Is that a real time machine?" Justin marvelled. "Did you build it?"

"Yes and no," the Time Force officer responded bluntly as he returned to a vertical base.

"Is it broke? Can I help?" the young Turbo Ranger asked excitedly.

"Quantum engineering might be just a little out of your league, kid," Lucas said, condescendingly.

"I'm pretty smart," Justin informed him. "I skipped seventh AND eighth grade."

"That...means absolutely nothing to me," came the response, the time traveller not clued up on the process of 20th century curriculum. "Look, not to be..."

"I can just pass you tools," Justin offered, "just tell me what you need and I'll..."

"I DON'T need your help, kid!" Lucas snapped. "I've got this."

A moment of silence followed, which, Lucas was sure, indicated the end of the conversation.

"That's NOT my name."

"What?" Lucas asked.

"You keep calling me 'kid.' My name is Justin – like I told you, already!"

"Yeah, well, 'Justin,' I'm pretty busy here, so..."

"I'm a Power Ranger, too, you know," the Turbo Ranger said, interrupting him before he could finish talking. "You're not better than me. In fact, I was the Blue Ranger a whole thousand years before you were!" he declared before storming out of the parking bay.

"Was that really necessary?"

"What?" Lucas asked, fully aware as to what the approaching Red Time Force Ranger was referring.

"Did you need to be such a jerk? He only wanted to help."

"I don't need his help!" Lucas snapped back.

"C'mon, you hurt his feelings," Wes said.

"Whatever," the Blue Ranger replied dismissively, returning his attention to the Time Shuttle.

"You okay, man?" Wes asked after a brief hesitation. It wasn't like Lucas to be THIS MUCH of a jerk!

Lucas didn't answer right away, instead staring down as if looking to his feet for help in answering. "Jen benched me," he eventually said, quietly.

Now it made more sense. "She benched you? Did she actually say that?" Wes asked.

"Of course not," he responded. "She hit me up with some bullshit story about how we needed the shuttle ready for our departure – that she didn't want to have to call Command and ask for a 'tow back to the 31st century.' She said I'm on 'standby' but this is a job for Trip, not me! She just wants me off the field. "

"That's her job, man," Wes said. "I mean, somebody's gotta look out for the rest of us when we're not looking out for ourselves."

"God, I am so sick of this!" Lucas barked. "I don't need anybody looking out for me! I got knocked down, I got back up – that's the job! And I definitely don't need..." He stopped as another sharp pain shot across his midsection – his body still feeling the effects of the energy-field that he had been trapped within.

"Look, nobody's questioning your toughness or your ability to do your job," Wes continued, that short look of pain on Lucas's face not going unnoticed. "It's just, maybe you came back too soon, y'know? Would it really have killed you to have sat this one out?"

"Are you kidding me!?" Lucas spat. "One more day cooped up like that and I'd have gone absolutely nuts!"

"Spoken just like a man ready to settle down and marry his girl," Wes said sarcastically.

Lucas winced, the Red Ranger's comment a lethal blow from which he couldn't easily recover. With everything going on over the last few weeks, he had almost forgotten that his 'private' conversation with Nadira had been overheard by Wes.

The point his friend made was clear and probably much closer to the root of his current mood than he would like to admit. When he had made the promise to Nadira that Djolnel would be his last mission, he had meant it...but now he was seriously wondering if it was a promise he could keep. One week out of action and he had been ready to pull his hair out! How was he ever going to cope without...all of THIS?

"I get it, okay?" Wes said. "But Nadira, she needs you. Now, more than ever."

"I know," Lucas agreed, suddenly realising how good it was to actually talk about the issue. "But not until we bring in the bastard who killed her father."

The Red Ranger nodded. "And then?"

Lucas pursed his lips as he considered his answer. "Then, I've got a promise to keep."

Wes patted his teammate on the shoulder. "I'm actually pretty surprised Nadira didn't make a push to come with us," he said. "I mean, her head is nowhere near being in the game but I kind of expected she would be looking to dish out her own brand of 'justice' or something."

"Yeah, me too," Lucas admitted, appearing as though he was going to say something more before deciding against it.

"What is it?" Wes asked.

"It's just...I feel like there's something else going on with her. Something she's not telling me," Lucas explained.

"Like what?" Wes asked, intrigued.

"I don't know. It's just...a feeling," he replied vaguely. "It doesn't matter, I'm probably just imagining it."

 _We've ALL got enough to deal with._

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Subsidiary Control Room-

 _Where did all of this come from!?_

"The 'enemy has demonstrated the ability to incite consternation within human combatants.' I don't even know what that means!" Carlos exclaimed.

"I don't understand," Cassie complained, leaning over the control console with a flustered look on her face. "I've been in this database I-don't-know-how-many times over the last few weeks and this is the first time I've even noticed these files."

"I know," Ashley agreed, "it's like they've just appeared?"

T.J, too, was confused. In order to more effectively make their way through the files left within the Power Chamber database by Zordon, the new Turbo Rangers had taken a 'divide and conquer' approach – each of the teens focusing their study on a specific section of the database and later verbally relaying their learnings to the others. It was highly improbable that NONE of them had come across the files detailing their predecessors' encounters with Time Force and Djolnel. "These files DEFINITELY weren't here before."

"So they DID just 'appear?' Why would they do that?" Carlos asked.

"I'm beginning to think that files reading 'Time Force' are filed under a 'need-to-know' basis," the Pink Turbo Ranger theorized.

Ashley nodded in agreement with her friend. "It makes sense. I mean, time travel? That's some pretty SERIOUS stuff!"

"The files only appeared to us when it was determined that we needed to know what was in them," T.J. said, running with their current theory. "The temporal scanners picking up the incoming time breach must have been the trigger that released them."

"They didn't want us to know about all this time travel stuff until we had to," Carlos summarised, beginning to get on board.

"I guess it is a big deal knowing about this future stuff," Cassie said, already beginning to feel the burden of such knowledge. "I know that the Blue Senturion is from the future, too, but this is WAY more complicated!"

"T.J? What are you thinking?" Ashley asked, noticing the look of contemplation on the Red Turbo Rangers face.

"Honestly? I'm just wondering if we're in over our heads with this?" he admitted after a few seconds of hesitation. "This is all just so...crazy! To think that our decisions here have the power to change the future and reshape the past?" He shook his head in disbelief at the words that were coming out of his mouth. "I dunno, maybe...maybe we should take a step back here. Call Tommy and the others. See if they won't take the lead on this one?"

A silence spread across the four Turbo Rangers as they considered their leader's proposal.

"I hate to say it, but I think that might be a good idea," Cassie said quietly through her long, dark hair. "This...this might be just a bit of a reach for us, right now."

"You guys can't do that!"

The four teens spun round at the sound of Justin's voice, none of them having been aware of his presence in the room.

"So, what? Every time things get tough, you're just gonna stand down and let someone else handle it?" the young Ranger chastised, clearly unhappy at what he had overheard.

The older Rangers exchanged guilty looks before Ashley leaned over, putting her hand on the Blue Turbo Ranger's shoulder. "Justin, it's more complicated than that. We have to consider the bigger picture here and, with everything that's at stake, we think maybe..."

"YOU are the Power Rangers now! WE are, the five of us!" he argued back with tears in his eyes. "We don't need anybody else! I love the others: Tommy, Kat and Adam and Tanya. And Rocky," the Blue Turbo Ranger continued. "But they were ready to move on with their lives. They served their time. Now? Now it's OUR time. And there's nothing so big that we can't handle it!"

The passion in his voice sent chills throughout the bodies of the other four Turbo Rangers, inspiring them in a way that none of them had ever before experienced.

"Well, I'm sold," said Carlos, a wide grin across his face.

"Me, too," Ashley added.

T.J. nodded, filled with pride just to know such an exceptional young man. "Me, too."

"And me," confirmed Cassie.

"And me."

The last voice didn't belong to one of the group, instead coming from the doorway from which Jen, Wes, Katie and Trip appeared.

"Nice speech," Jen said, addressing the young Turbo Ranger as his friends gathered around him.

"We all got off on the wrong foot, today" she acknowledged. "We tripped over each other out there and there's no one of us to blame for that. What's important is that we're on the same page now," she said, extending her hand, "because we sure could use your help."

Stepping forward, T.J. grabbed her hand in his, two teams of Power Rangers uniting under mankind's oldest and most recognised symbol of trust, a moment interrupted by the beeping of the Power Chamber alarm.

"Looks like we're getting that second chance right now," T.J. said, all of them making their way down the corridor.

"Alpha, what's going on?" Ashley asked immediately upon entering The Command Deck.

"Trouble down at the beach," the droid confirmed, guiding their attention to the viewing monitor. "Looks like 'tall, dark and dangerous' is back!"

"I guess Djolnel caught up to his hourglass," Cassie said, the image displayed on the screen showing the time travelling monster in some sort of confrontation with another snarling figure – with a tail like the devil and racecar flames decorating his body – the aforementioned hourglass gripped firmly in his hands.

"That's the Demon Racer!" Justin cried. "They're fighting each other!"

"Let's go get 'em!" T.J. said.

"You face not one but two dangerous enemies on this day, Power Rangers. Only by trusting in each other can victory be achieved," Dimitria advised.

"I think we're ready to give this team-up thing another shot," Ashley said, sharing a smile with the Time Force officers.

"I'll try ta contact the Blue Senturion – see if he won't offer some assistance, " Alpha said.

"Let's do this!" Carlos yelled.

"Ready?" Jen shouted to nods of approval from her team. "It's Time for Time Force!"

"Shift into Turbo!" T.J. ordered, the five Turbo Rangers inserting their Turbo keys into the Morpher on their wrists, a twist of the hand activating their connection to the Morphin Grid.

 _Let's get this right, this time!_

 **End of Part 2**

* * *

 **Part 3**

Angel Grove Beach

 _Get to finish our day at the beach, after all!_

"This is an intervention, boys!" Cassie quipped, the fountain of pink light from which she had emerged disappearing as she and the rest of the Rangers leapt between their two adversaries.

"Hand it over!" Carlos demanded of the Demon Racer.

"You'll have to catch me first!" the monster replied, vanishing in a gust of wind.

"Aw, man," the Green Turbo Ranger said.

"You guys go after the Racer," T.J. instructed his fellow Turbo Rangers. "Get that hourglass!"

Following their leader's command, Carlos, Ashley, Justin and Cassie burst into a high speed sprint of their own in pursuit of their inhuman enemy, leaving the Red Turbo Ranger to fight alongside their Time Force allies.

"Don't even think about it!" Jen proclaimed, she and the others forming a barrier in front of Djolnel to stop him from joining the chase. "You're going to have to go through us!"

"Gladly," her nemesis replied, flying for the Pink Time Force Ranger.

Deflecting Djolnel's attack with her Chrono Sabres, Jen moved out of the way to allow Wes to get off a shot from his Vector Weapon, narrowly missing the mark before the being known as 'The Dire' whipped the gun right out of the Red Time Force Ranger's hands with a lashing tentacle.

The Turbo Lighting Sword appearing in a streak of light, T.J. lunged at his enemy, an explosion of spikes from the monster's body repelling his advance.

An attack coming from above, Djolnel used a tentacle to pull himself away from the Green Ranger's Time Strike attack, leaving him unable to react quickly enough to the shadow he saw moving towards him – the monster sent flying through the air and crashing down into the warm beach sand.

"Sit the hell down!" the Yellow Time Force Ranger said, resting the metal pole over her shoulder, the sign on top of it crumpled from the impact.

"Damn!" T.J. proclaimed, no other words coming to mind at the sight of the superhuman feat of strength.

Djolnel roared as he climbed back to his feet, the spikes on his forearms elongating and tentacles flailing in all directions.

"You're NOT getting your hands back on that canister," Jen said, adamantly. "THIS is the line in the sand!"

 _And I'll be DAMNED to see you on this side!_

* * *

AngelGrove Business District

 _Now let's have some fun._

"Over here!" the Demon Racer teased, juggling the glowing hourglass from hand to hand.

"Gotcha!" Justin shouted, flinging his arms out around his enemy...only to find that the monster was no longer there.

"Now I'm over here!" the Demon Racer shouted, several meters from where the Blue Turbo Ranger had attempted to apprehend him.

Lunging with her arms outreached, Ashley, too, found that simply grabbing their enemy wasn't going to work.

"Too slow!" the monster laughed, once again on the move.

"We'll never catch him like this!" Cassie cried.

"Then let's try something new!" Carlos suggested, raising his wrist to his face. "Alpha, come in!"

The canister grasped in his hands, the Demon Racer looked over his shoulder for some sign of his pursuers. Had they really given up so quickly? Just then, a shower of green sparks poured from the sky right in front of him, two gloved hands reaching from within that forced him to promptly change direction.

A flood of pink was next, then yellow, then blue, and then green again as the Turbo Rangers teleported repeatedly in an attempt to catch their rapid adversary off guard.

"Dammit!" Carlos cursed. His idea had been a good one, getting Alpha to track the monster's exact coordinates at any given second using the teleportation super-positioner and then teleporting the Rangers right on top of him. Unfortunately, they were unable to rematerialize fast enough in order to catch their target.

"Cheaters never win!" the Demon Racer warned, never standing still for anymore than a second at a time.

"Then what rules are we playing by?" Ashley asked.

"Just a simple test of speed," the Demon Racer answered. "Call on those fancy Turbo Zords of yours and, if you catch me, you can have this glowing whatchamacallit. I'll even slow down just a little bit for ya!"

"That's not going to happen!" Cassie declared, thinking of the danger to the public that engaging in such a chase would ensure.

"If it's these pathetic humans you're worried about, then there's another game we can play," the Racer suggested. "I could break one of their necks in the blink of an eye. How many do you think I can break before you stop me?"

"I don't like this," Ashley cautioned her teammates.

"Me, neither," Carlos replied, agreeing that something fishy was going on, "but I don't think we have any other options right now."

"What's it going to be, Rangers?" the monster asked, impatiently.

"You're gonna regret challenging us!" the Green Turbo Ranger promised. "Turbo Zord Power, now!"

The ground beneath them shaking, the roar of mighty engines filled the air as the Turbo charged Zords appeared on the scene, each of them coming to a stop alongside their corresponding Ranger.

"Wise choice," the monster snickered as the four heroes took position behind the steering wheel of their Zords, engines revving and ready to go.

"On your marks...get set..." the Racer started, the Rangers twitching in their cockpits, hands clasped on the stick and waiting to drop their foot on the gas.

"...GO!"

Wheels screaming, the back end of the Wind Chaser Turbo Zord swung out as Cassie pressed the pedal to the floor, double-clutching as she ascended gears in quick succession, the streets of Angel Grove becoming nothing but a blur on either end. If someone had told her a few weeks ago that she would have been driving a pink and white sports car in a high speed street race, she would have laughed. She wasn't laughing now.

Coming up on the heels of the Demon Racer, Cassie shifted into Turbo gear...only for the monster to abruptly change direction – sprinting off down a side street.

"Agh!" she grunted, her Zord spinning out as she tried to make the impossible turn. "I lost him!" she acknowledged through the communications system.

"I have a visual," Justin confirmed, the Mountain Blaster Turbo Zord snaking from side to side as the Blue Ranger tried to stay on the Racer's trail. The tower block at the end of the road coming up fast, Justin felt the sweat run down his brow as he realised that he had become the unwilling participant in a high stakes game of 'chicken.'

As he tried to anticipate whether his target would turn off to the left or to the right, the Racer, inexplicably, went UP! Slamming down on the brake and turning hard on the steering wheel, the 4x4 truck spun out as it approached the building – many of the civilians looking out through the glass having already made their peace with God – tipping up on two wheels as it screeched to a halt only inches from catastrophe!

Water raining down on top of the Mountain Blaster from the fire hydrant he had smashed into, Justin looked up to the sight of the monster sprinting up the side of the tower – gravity itself bowing down before the incredible speed of the Demon Racer.

"We need to shut this guy down fast!" Justin exclaimed, looking at the terrified faces on the other side of the glass right beside him, as well as the cowering figures littering the streets. "People are gonna get hurt..."

 _...or worse!_

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Command Deck-

 _This is not looking good!_

"Our Rangers aren't doin' too hot out there, Dimitria!" Alpha 6 cried.

"This contest is one that lends favour to our adversary," the Inqurian acknowledged. "The rules and environment are disadvantageous to us."

Lucas watched the viewing monitor nervously. Left alone with Circuit to complete the repairs on the Time Shuttle, the Blue Time Force Ranger had grown anxious not knowing how the others were faring out on the field. As it turned out, knowing did little to provide solace.

"They'll never catch him," he said, adamantly. "They'll never catch him and the Demon Racer knows it. He's cutting angles that they can't match. He's playing them – it's a game they can't win! But I can."

"Whatchya sayin', Slick?" Alpha enquired.

"You have to send me out there," Lucas replied.

"You can't go into the field," Circuit protested. "Jen left specific instruction that you..."

"Jen is trying to protect me from myself," Lucas acknowledged. "I know that. But I also know that I am the only one here who can catch the Racer. Driving IS kind of my thing – and, hey, it's not like plan A is working out too well!"

"I have no reason to doubt your judgement, Lucas Kendall, Blue Ranger of the future," Dimitria said. "Alpha, prepare for teleportation."

"I hope you know whatchya doin', Blue," the robot stated.

"Don't worry, this'll be over in no time," Lucas said, confidently. "Time for Time Force!" he yelled, his Chrono Morpher opening the Morphin Grid around him just before Alpha 6 activated the teleportation sequence.

"He's not short of confidence, that's fo' sure!" Alpha stated, barely finishing his sentence before the alarm sounded once again.

"Alpha 6, what is happening?" Dimitria asked.

"Yo, I'm detecting a strange energy reading a few miles off the coast!" the droid replied. "There's somethin' happening...underwater?"

"Bring it up on screen," the Inqurian requested, the image that appeared showing a glowing red fissure on the ocean floor – a team of Piranhatrons apparently performing some kind of 'mining' operation.

"What are they up to?" Circuit asked.

"I fear the Demon Racer's game is just that," Dimitria stated. "All of this, merely a distraction..."

 _The real threat has not yet been revealed._

* * *

Downtown Angel Grove

 _Okay, that looks like everyone._

Ushering the last of the people off of the street, Justin guided them to the basement stairwell of the large office block, the closest thing to a 'safe place' he could think of right now. "You'll be safe down here for now," he said, doing a fairly unimpressive job at making his voice sound deeper.

"Th-thank you!" one of them replied, her young daughter clutching her arm tightly.

"Don't worry, I'll come get you when this is all over," he promised, closing the door and running back to his Zord waiting outside.

Turning his Turbo key in the machine's ignition, Justin prepared to re-join the pursuit when he was surprised by a sudden banging sound.

"Hey!" the Blue Time Force Ranger yelled, patting his hands on the bonnet of the vehicle. "Hold up!"

"What do YOU want!?" Justin snorted, lowering the window just enough that the pair could converse.

"You've got to move over," he requested.

"I don't think so!" the Blue Turbo Ranger replied, intending to ignore his plea and drive away.

"No, listen to me!" Lucas begged. "Justin, please! I get it, okay? I'm a jerk. But I'm also the best shot we've got at putting an end to this! I need you to trust me."

* * *

"Carlos, Ashley, he's heading your way!" Cassie advised over the coms.

"I see him!" the Yellow Ranger responded from within the Dune Star Turbo Zord.

"Ashley, we need to try to flank this guy – take away his options," Carlos instructed, piloting the Desert Thunder Turbo Zord two streets over. "Cassie, we'll send him back to you!"

"Got it!" she replied, rapidly ascending through the gears of her Zord to catch up with her friends.

"Here he comes!" Ashley yelled.

"Let's turn him around!" the Green Ranger shouted, shifting into Turbo gear to cut the Racer off at the pass – the monster instead slipping past as the back of the Zord swung out of control, spinning him out directly into the path of the Dune Star.

"Carlos, look..." the Yellow Ranger began to say, her head snapping back as the green van and yellow jeep met in a violent collision before she could finish the warning.

"Oh, crap!" Cassie exclaimed, slamming down on the brake too late as the Wind Chaser became part of the Turbo Zord pileup.

"Dammit!" Carlos shouted, punching the dashboard.

"I don't think I want this car, anymore!" the Pink Turbo Ranger complained, throwing her hands in the air.

Just then, the Mountain Blaster flew past all three off them at high speed...driving in reverse!?

"Justin? What are you doing!?" asked Ashley.

"What the heck are you doing!?" the Blue Turbo Ranger screamed, pressed uncomfortably against the corner of the cockpit, wholly unfamiliar with being a passenger in his own Zord.

Concentrating on the rear view monitor on the dashboard, it took Lucas a few seconds to answer the question. "You guys can't bank."

Justin repeated those words in his head a few times just to be completely sure that they didn't make sense. "What!?"

"The angles he's cutting are too tight," Lucas explained, trying to simplify it as much as possible. "The Zords can't make the turns at these speeds and the Racer knows it! He's spinning you out on purpose – making you face the wrong way! You'll never catch him."

"But you will?" Justin asked, not sounding entirely convinced.

"How much does this thing weigh?" Lucas asked, suddenly.

"I don't know? Around twenty-five hundred, I think?" Justin answered, nervously.

The Time Force Ranger nodded, the answer on par with his own estimation. "And this?" he asked, taking a hand off the wheel for a quick moment to point to the pipes running underneath the floor. "This is for some kind of nitrous oxide super injector, yeah?"

"Yeah?" the young Ranger answered somewhat hesitantly, unsure of how the Time Force Ranger planned to utilize Turbo gear whilst going backwards!

"I need both hands for steering so, when I give the word, you need to activate that booster, got it?" Lucas said.

"Uh...I guess," Justin responded, carrying many reservations about what was going on right now.

"Don't worry, kid – I got this!" the future Ranger assured him, the monster now visible on the monitor. "Get ready."

Hearing the rumble of another Turbo Zord coming up behind him, the Demon Racer – at a blistering speed – cut another sharp turn that the Turbo Zords had shown to be incapable of matching.

But Lucas didn't need to match it.

Pulling hard on the steering wheel, the Zord swung round after the target – spinning out like all the times before...only, this time, the Mountain Blaster ended up facing the right way.

"Now!" Lucas yelled, straightening the wheels just as Justin pulled the lever to shift into Turbo gear – the subsequent g-force throwing him back against the rear wall of the cockpit as they were rocketed forward at an incredible velocity that saw the monster disappear over the top of the vehicle.

Slamming the brakes down hard, Lucas guided the Zord to a screeching halt, watching in the wing mirror as the shapeless form of the Demon Racer plummeting back to the ground with a splat.

"Alright!" Carlos said in celebration, he and the others pulling in alongside the Blue Rangers.

The door of the Mountain Blaster opening, Lucas motioned back to the other Rangers with his hand. "I've got this!" he declared, making his way on foot to their fallen enemy.

As he approached, the Blue Time Force Ranger didn't know what was more impressive: the fact that the monster was actually getting back to its feet, or the fact that it had never released its grip on the canister?

His footsteps splashing on the flooding street, the burst hydrant shooting water to the heavens behind them, Lucas was oblivious to the bronze periscope that had risen from that watery surface to observe.

"I believe that's MY trophy you're holding," he said smugly.

The Demon Racer growled at his statement, spitting blood at him in an act of defiance.

"Nice...but the game's up," he responded, pointing at the twisted legs of the monster – the limbs having taken the full brunt of the collision. "No more running."

A bloody grin formed across the Racer's face. "I'm not done yet!" he declared, lunging at the Time Force Ranger – his wild, one-armed swings missing completely as Lucas dodged the attacks in a display of near-precognitive movement, his body seemingly responding to the high speed attacks before they could occur.

"How did he do that!?" Ashley asked, gobsmacked, watching on with the others.

Dropped to his knees by a stomp to the back of his leg, the Racer let loose a silent scream as the Time Force Ranger ripped the cybernetic attachment right off of the monster's back – the neural interface between his brain and prosthetics destroyed and, with it, most of his spine. Paralysed, he slumped into himself, his face buried in the glowing canister he hugged against his body.

"NOW, you're done," Lucas said, reaching down to retrieve his prize when he detected the last sound he could have expected to hear. Was he...laughing?

Grabbing him by the horn, the Blue Time Force Ranger pulled the monster's head out of his chest to look him in the eye. "What the hell do you have to laugh about?" he asked...only to notice that there was some kind of digital display on top of the canister – like a timer counting down?

Looking back into the eyes of the Demon Racer, time seemed to stand still as Lucas was hit by the crushing realisation that they had been wrong. This was never meant to be a game they couldn't win – they were always intended to catch the Racer! The real ploy was that it was by winning that they really lost.

"You just ran out of time," the monster hissed.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere appeared a robotic being right next to the pair, gripping in his hands another glowing canister.

Sent by Alpha 6, the Blue Senturion, sprung into action – diving on top of Lucas as the activated force-field generator fell to the ground, the field of glowing blue energy encompassing the Demon Racer only a split second before the bomb detonated with a deafening explosion.

When Lucas looked up a few seconds later, all that remained within the still crackling energy-field was a smoking hole on the ground, the Demon Racer completely disintegrated by the explosion that had, successfully, been contained within.

"Blue Senturion!" Ashley cried, she and the others rushing over to their location.

"Reporting for duty," the extra terrestrial machine responded. "Sorry about the late arrival. There was a cat stuck in a tree in a neighbouring town and, well, even I can't be everywhere at once."

"Lucas, you okay?" Carlos asked.

The Time Force Ranger didn't answer as he climbed back to his feet, staring at the smouldering hole in the ground.

 _We just got played – big time!_

* * *

The Subcraft

-Control Room-

 _Aunty D isn't going to like this!_

The burst hydrant providing the watery surface through which the Subcraft periscope could travel between locations, Elgar had witnessed the Demon Racer's demise in Angel Grove. Now, twiddling his thumbs and mumbling quietly to himself, he pondered how best to break the bad news to...

"Elgar!"

The cone-domed alien jumped at Divatox's shrill shriek.

"Elgar, what's going on up there?" Divatox asked, smiling. "Come on, darling, tell Aunty Divatox?"

"Uh, well, you know that Demon Racer?" Elgar said, rubbing the back of his head. "Um, well, these days, he's kinda lookin' more like the Demon Crater." He covered his face as he waited on her assuredly violent reaction to the news.

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed, her response leaving Elgar in a state of bewilderment.

Divatox rubbed her hands together excitedly. The Racer's fate had never been in question – a sacrificial lamb meant to keep the Rangers occupied until the REAL plan was underway. It was too late now for anyone to stop the Ascension – even the Megazord would be helpless against what was coming. Nothing could stop it.

 _Let the seas run red._

* * *

Angel Grove Beach

 _What was that!?_

Cringing at the sound of the explosion coming from the business district, María wondered if, for once, she had actually chosen safety over danger! Of course, she wasn't going to convince anybody that heading out here alone – without letting anyone know where she was going – was a good idea. Nobody else at the station was even willing to come with her on her 'crazy' pursuits, anymore!

Not that she cared.

'Monster attacks Angel Grove' barely registered as news, these days. She was onto a bigger story – and the next chapter of that story was unfolding right in front of her...

* * *

Thrown across the beach by his opponent, the shallow water did little to take the sting out of T.J's landing. Straightening his arms to push himself back to his feet, it occurred to him that something was very wrong. Did he have blood in his eyes? Or was the sea actually red!?

"What the hell?" he wondered out loud.

The Time Force Rangers were also baffled by the strange phenomenon, waters red for as far as the eye could see.

The sound of electricity popping brought their attention back to Djolnel, the monster playing with the sparks at the end of his fingertips.

"Must be pretty frustrating?" Jen taunted, the feeling building inside her that more was happening here than any of them knew. "Time to leave but you haven't released your precious Sands, yet?"

"I deployed the Sands quite some time ago," he answered in his low distinctive voice.

"You're lying!" Trip said in disbelief. "We saw the Racer with the canister! You were fighting him for..."

"You saw what you wanted to see," Djolnel said. "A fairly common symptom among those who cling to hope."

"So the Racer's hourglass, it was..." T.J. began.

"It seems you are not the only ones capable of constructing a convincing imitation," Djolnel snorted.

A bomb, T.J. concluded, knowing how much Divatox got off on her explosives, almost certainly the source of the explosion only moments prior. He hoped that his friends were okay.

"What are you saying?" Jen asked.

"I just made a little deal with a pirate," Djolnel answered, energy now crackling all around his being.

"But why?" Katie asked. "Why would you do this? Why join forces with Divatox?"

"Just to mix things up," he replied, menacingly. "I wouldn't want you settling into a routine."

"If anything has happened to my friends..." T.J. threatened.

"I believe you're about to become otherwise occupied..." Djolnel responded, just before the ocean erupted behind them.

"Everybody, move!" yelled Katie over the sound of crashing water, she and the other Rangers heading for higher grounds...all except for Jen.

"No! You're not just leaving like this!" the Pink Ranger screamed, running towards her nemesis.

"See you soon, Jennifer," he said softly, just as the crimson waves swallowed the beach, consuming them both. The force of the impact severing her connection to the Morphin Grid, Jen's unmorphed body was thrown out of control, the Time Force leader struggling futiley against the ocean's might, only a blazing white light visible through the red all around her...until the darkness overtook everything.

* * *

Choking and spluttering as the water was ejected from her lungs, Jen instinctively rolled onto her side to aid the process.

"She's okay! She's okay!" T.J. cried out, kneeling over her prone body.

Wes felt a wave of relief wash over him more powerful than the wave that had just covered the beach. "This one's still with us, too!" he confirmed, the Latino woman he had scooped out of the water also coughing up fluid. "Hey, hey, you're okay," he assured her, sensing her panic. "Take it easy, let it all out," he said comfortingly as he patted her back, his eyes, however, fixed across the street on Jen.

Confused and disorientated, María squeezed her eyes closed and gripped tightly onto the figure who's soothing words were all that kept her from completely losing her mind! What just happened? The last thing she remembered, she was on the beach watching...the 'other' Power Rangers!

Slowly she opened her eyes to the red outfit that her face was pressed against. Pulling her head back slightly, she looked up to the face of her saviour.

It was him.

The one who took a 'bullet' for her last year when his broken helmet had revealed to her that he was the same man who 'stole' the mysterious red and black object from her table in the Youth Centre the year before. Probably, he was the same man who had pulled her from the crashed helicopter on the night that all of this began. And now, he had saved her again.

"What the hell was that?" Katie asked. "Some kind of bomb?"

"Out at sea? That doesn't make any sense?" T.J. said. "There has to be..."

"Look!" Trip cried, pointing down at the water below them. "Bodies!"

"Those aren't people," T.J. said, relieved, immediately recognising the lifeless forms floating in the red water. "Those are Piranhatrons."

"It's okay, I'm just gonna sit you down over here," Wes explained to the woman in his arms, her eyes still closed, sitting her upright against the short wall overlooking the flooded beach when he suddenly realised just who it was he had pulled from the water – he had been so concerned for Jen that he hadn't even noticed! Why was she always in the thick of things? Was she TRYING to get herself killed? It didn't matter, right now – there were other pressing issues to attend to.

María opened her eyes again as the Red Ranger joined the others. She had so many questions to ask him – so much she needed to know! But now wasn't the right time. Her body was still trembling, she wasn't sure she could even speak! No, this wasn't the time for questions. Besides, a pattern was emerging and she was certain that this would not be her last meeting with these 'other' Power Rangers. Weak from the ordeal, the reporter's eyes closed once again, her heading rolling to the side as she drifted off into unconsciousness.

Closing his helmet back on around his head, Wes looked over at Jen, kneeling upright with her head bowed and red water still dripping from her. He knew what she was thinking: they had lost Djolnel – again – and he knew better than to try and console her right now.

"Where we at?" he asked his fellow Red Ranger, he and the others looking out over the horizon.

"There's something out there," T.J. answered, just as the ground beneath his feet began to rumble and the sounds of engines filled the air. Emerging from Angel Grove, the Turbo Zords rolled to a stop before them.

"You guys okay?" T.J. asked, glad to see that all of his friends were in one piece.

"We're okay," Ashley answered. "Everyone good over here?"

The Red Turbo Ranger nodded, looking over to Jen as he did so, the Time Force leader still staring at the ground. "I think we're okay."

"Lucas?" Trip said, surprised to see his teammate emerging from the Moutain Blaster. Nonetheless, a smile appeared on his face beneath his helmet. He always felt better when their team was at full strength.

"So, um, THAT doesn't happen very often," Cassie said, looking out over the red ocean.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Justin asked.

As if to answer the question, the ocean's surface was suddenly broken by a gigantic silhouette in front of the sun...one in the shape of a crustacean-like claw.

"What...what is that?" Trip asked, fairly certain that he'd rather not have to find out.

DEET-DEET DOOT-DOOT DEET-DOOT

"This is T.J, I read you!" the Red Turbo Ranger answered into his wrist.

"Rangers, an ancient and terrible force has been awakened," Dimitria said.

"Yeah, no kidding," he muttered under his breath, more of the creature unveiled as it rose from the water, appearing to possess qualities akin to both crustaceans and cephalopods.

"Why did it have to be tentacles?" Wes complained, blood red waterfalls pouring from the huge processes as the monster stood upright. "I am so damned sick of tentacles!"

"Oh my God, that thing is...huge!" Katie exclaimed, the creature bigger than even the Time Force Megazord.

"It is imperative that the Kraken does not reach the mainland," Dimitria continued over the transmission.

"So are you calling your ride, already, or are we going out to get eaten by the humongous sea monster without you?" Carlos asked, sarcastically.

"You even have to ask?" the Red Turbo Ranger replied. "Red Lightning – Turbo Power!"

On his command, red sparks rained down from the sky as the form of the Red Lightning Turbo Zord materialised alongside the others.

Climbing into their vehicles, T.J. took one more look back towards the Time Force Rangers. "If that thing gets past us..." he began.

Wes nodded, the question needing not even be asked, before all five Turbo Zords sped off, driving down onto the beach and disappearing into the red ocean.

"The canister was a fake," Lucas said, breaking the few moments of silence that had followed the Turbo team's departure.

"We know," Trip responded.

"And Djolnel?" he asked, fairly certain of what the answer would be.

"Gone," Katie confirmed.

Lucas snorted. The monster had played them all good this time, and it didn't look like Jen was taking his escape very well.

Wet hair still clinging to her face, the Time Force leader looked up in response to the hand extended towards her. "I thought I benched you," she said in a tone that gave no indication as to whether she was being serious or joking or a bit of both.

"You did," Lucas answered, pulling her to her feet as she grabbed his hand with her own, "but my friends needed my help."

 _Who else was gonna show them how to drive?_

* * *

 **The Pacific Ocean**

 _Okay, I'll go first._

"So, anyone else absolutely crapping their pants, here?" the Pink Turbo Ranger asked as she piloted the Wind Chaser across the ocean floor.

"Dimitria, what are we up against?" T.J. asked over the Zord's com.

"According to legend, the summoning of the Great Beast means that a world has been selected for annihilation. The Kraken serves no master – destruction, it's only cause," their mentor explained. "Once it reaches land, the Beast shall claim the world as its own. It's power growing to immeasurable proportions, it will begin to purge the world of all life."

"Not if we stop it, first," Justin declared.

"There is more," Dimitria continued. "As long as the sea runs red, the gateway to the Kraken's realm remains open. Once the Beast has laid claim to the land, another shall come forth to claim the sea."

"Wait, there could be TWO of these things!?" Ashley squeaked, not even wanting to consider that possibility.

"Anything in this legend about how to actually STOP this thing?" Carlos asked.

"Once it reaches the mainland, it will already be too late. You are the line that the Kraken must not cross. Spilling the blood of the Beast into the blood-red waters is the only way to reverse the Ascension – sealing the gateway and returning the Kraken to whence it came!" Dimitria told them.

"According to legend," Carlos pointed out. "How do we know all that stuff is actually true?"

"It doesn't change anything," T.J. stated. "We can't allow this thing to reach the shore."

"So we just gut it and hope for the best?" Cassie said, skeptically.

"We stop it at all costs, Power Rangers," came the Blue Senturion's voice over the transmission, his colossal police cruiser – the Robo Racer – having also descended into the red waters as he joined them on their mission. "Failure is NOT an option."

"Alright, Rangers, time to even up the odds, a little," T.J. declared, the five Turbo Zords immediately supersizing as the Turbo Megazord transformation sequence commenced.

* * *

The Kraken looked out as if through new eyes at this world that lay before it. Who it was that had summoned it, it did not know, nor was the answer to that question of consequence – it had been millennia since it last fed!

Movement in the red indicated the first wave. This world was defending itself.

Two synthetic beings ascending from beneath to challenge it, the Kraken wondered: did such small creatures truly believe they could stop it?

The Blue Senturion was the first to try, the Robo Racer, having assumed its battle form, unleashing its most powerful weapon upon the Beast – the Synergizer Blaster mounted upon its right forearm. The attack proved ineffective.

The Kraken's tentacles regenerating faster than they could cut through them – without a drop of blood spilled – the Turbo Rangers found themselves smacked into the air by one of the reformed limbs, the Megazord splashing back down in the red water.

"That thing's got a hell of a swing!" Carlos commented, shocked at just how far out to sea the monster's strike had sent them.

"It swatted us aside like we were a mosquito!" Ashley added, equally shocked.

"It's not gonna be so easy to make this thing bleed!" Cassie realised.

"I think we need to get through that shell if we wanna get to the juicy stuff!" their leader surmised. "Ashley, Carlos – activate repulsion jets!"

As instructed, the Yellow and Green Turbo Rangers – their Zords forming the lower legs of the Megazord – initiated downwards thrusters, the robot rising until it hovered on the ocean's surface, red water bubbling at its feet.

"Everybody ready?" T.J. asked.

"Let's crack this Kraken!" Justin confirmed as the mighty machine, Turbo Megazord Sabre in hand, glided across the water at a blistering speed.

"Spinout!" T.J. yelled, the five Rangers working in unison to initiate the Turbo Megazord's finishing manoeuvre. Unlike the spinouts in their pursuit of the Demon Racer earlier, this one was no accident – the ocean water gathering like a blood red cyclone around the Megazord as it spun across the water's surface, the Turbo Megazord Sabre colliding with the Kraken's shell...with absolutely no effect, whatsoever!

"I don't believe it!" Ashley cried out, the entire cockpit reverberating from the feedback of the failed attack.

"Not even a scratch!" Carlos gasped.

"What do we do, now!?" asked Cassie, at a loss. If even their most powerful attack was useless, then what more COULD they do!?

Suddenly, from its beak-like mouth, the beast unleashed a hideous, blood-curdling scream – not as an expression of pain, nor even a sound of annoyance, but simply a statement of dominance. Before any of them could react, both the Turbo Megazord and the Robo Racer were plucked out of the water by the giant clawed hands of the Kraken, all of their attempts to free themselves for naught as the crushing grip grew tighter and tighter.

Sweat trickling down his brow as the Kraken continued its advance for Angel Grove, T.J. took a deep breath as he began preliminary measures to initiate the Turbo Megazord self-destruct. The Beast had to be stopped – at ALL cost. His hand hovering over the final activation switch, he opened his mouth to give the evacuation order when, from above the beach, a brilliant blaze of white stripped him of sight.

"Agh! What is that?" Carlos asked, turning away from the light.

"It's another time vortex!" Cassie answered, shielding her eyes with her arms.

"Alright, team, let's see how this thing likes us!" Jen said from her cockpit, the five Time Fliers and the Shadow Winger roaring over the head of the Kraken.

"Guys, come in!" Circuit chirped over their Zords' communications. "Taz and Chase are standing by in the Raptors and ready for immediate deployment!"

"Tell Command to send them in," Jen confirmed. "We're going to need every bit of firepower we can get!"

The vortex closing with a crash, the Turbo Rangers looked back around, eight unusual aircrafts now circling the skies.

"What the heck are those!?" Justin asked, standing up out of his seat in an attempt to gain a better view.

"All eight vessels appeared from within the anomaly," the Blue Senturion confirmed, his own robotic eyes unafflicted by the searing light that had temporarily blinded his human allies.

"It's Time Force's Zords!" T.J. cried out in realisation.

"4-Space transit successful," officer Natasia Vasquez confirmed for the record, Raptor 1 completing its first official journey through time.

"Raptor 2, all systems go," Chase Dixon declared, adjusting his piloting helmet. "Whoa! That's a WHOLE lotta ugly down there!" he added, laying eyes upon the titanic Kraken.

"Focus, Chase!" Natasia yelled at him, already nervous enough without her partner providing his form of commentary.

"Jen, you have to stop the Kraken from reaching the mainland!" Circuit said.

"We'll drag it back to sea!" she responded, adamantly.

"Initiate Shadow Force Megazord: Mode Blue!" Wes announced.

"Look, they're coming together!" Carlos observed, the Time Fliers and the Shadow Winger falling into alignment in the sky, reconfiguring and interconnecting until the six machines had become one. The Great Beast now fell under the shadow of the mighty Shadow Force Megazord.

With the five Time Force Rangers operating the machine in unison, the Shadow Force Megazord grabbed hold of one of the Kraken's tentacles with both hands as they attempted to pull the titan away from Angel Grove.

"We need more power to thrusters!" Jen commanded, the Kraken not so easily moved.

"We're already at maximum output!" Katie replied.

"It's too strong!" Trip added.

"Taz, Chase – combine the Raptors with the Shadow Force Megazord!" Circuit instructed.

"Receiving download," Natasia replied, the docking instructions appearing in her visor. "Raptor 1, ready!"

"Raptor 2, initiating docking sequence," Chase announced, the twin Zords navigating through the swarm of tentacles that amassed to stop them to successfully integrate with the rest of the Zords, docking atop the shoulders of the Shadow Force Megazord like two large rocket boosters.

"Welcome aboard!" Wes greeted them over the coms.

"Alright, everyone – full power to all thrusters!" Jen ordered.

With the boost in power offered by the Raptors, the Kraken suddenly felt itself being pulled backwards – its frantic attempt to reach the mainland with its outreached tentacles for naught as it was lifted from the ocean floor and dragged back out to deeper waters.

Never before had it encountered such resistance, its own progress undone by those who fought for preservation. How could such small creatures possess so much power!?

Tossing its two captors aside, the gargantuan monster turned its focus on the Time Force Rangers, its gigantic claws missing its prey as they once again took to the skies.

"Time target, activated!" Wes announced, gripping in his hands a replica of the Megazord's own weapon, aiming it at their enemy in the water as the Megazord did the same.

"What're they doing?" Cassie asked, the Megazord of the future projecting a green light over the Beast, a series of numbers projected on the water all around it...like a giant clock face?

"It's some kind of targeting system!" T.J. realised.

"Download incoming," Jen announced, the data stream appearing in her visor. "Initiate Raptor Weapons Mode!"

"Copy that," Chase replied, he and Natasia also receiving the data feed.

The rear thrusters repositioning as the Zords shifted in shape, the Raptors now resembled shoulder mounted cannons rather than rocket boosters.

"Online!" said Chase, the transformation sequence a success.

"Power readings are through the roof!" Trip exclaimed.

"Time to send this Kraken packin'!" Wes declared, pointing the blaster replica in his hands at the centre of the target. "Time Blast: Maximum Power!"

The energy blasts produced by the Raptors converged with the Time Blast released from the Megazord Sabre to form a single, powerful attack that consumed the Great Beast, sending shockwaves through the water in all directions.

Engulfed by the energy, the Beast let loose another hideous scream, this one notably different from the last. For the first time in its existence, the Kraken felt pain.

"They broke through its shell!" Ashley yelled at the sight of the shattered fragments falling into the water, the Kraken's soft underbelly now exposed.

Aiming the Robo Racer's Synergizer Blaster at the flailing monster, the Blue Senturion waited for just the right moment. "How'd you like me now?" he said, the shot firing across the air with an uncanny precision to find its mark – the water immediately returning to its normal colour where the blood of the once-unstoppable Kraken spilled into the blood-red sea.

The spreading blue waters like a poison against its body, the Kraken screamed in agony even as it was summoned back to its own realm – like being pulled by a maelstrom beneath the red that only it could feel.

Gripping onto the ocean floor with everything it had left, the Kraken roared in defiance. It would NOT be defeated! It was the most powerful creature in the universe! This world belonged to it now!

"It doesn't look like it wants to leave the party," Carlos pointed out.

"Maybe we should insist," replied T.J, the Turbo Megazord rising to the top of the water once again. "Let's try this one more time..."

The spinning red cyclone heading straight towards it, the Kraken could only close its eyes, its fate sealed, the sharp blade of the Turbo Megazord Sabre slicing through its soft, weak body.

"Your time is up," Lucas stated, watching on with the other Time Force Rangers as the behemoth disappeared completely beneath the crystal blue ocean.

"Yes!" Justin cried out, high fives all round to his friends. "That's what happens when you mess with the Power Rangers!"

"Nice shooting, Blue Senturion!" T.J. added.

"Just doing my duty," the robot replied.

Aboard the Shadow Force Megazord, Time Force engaged in a victory celebration of their own.

"Another one bites the dust!" Wes said, triumphantly, fist bumping Lucas while Katie and Trip hugged.

Beneath Jen's helmet, a faint smile formed across her face. Ahead of this mission, she had been more determined than ever before to bring in Djolnel. His escape today wasn't something she would get over easily although, she had to admit, it felt damn good to slay a Kraken.

"Natasia, Chase – hell of a job, officers," she commended the newest additions to their team.

"Thank you, ma'am," Chase replied over the coms as Natasia simply exhaled a sigh of relief.

 _One HELL of a job..._

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Command Deck-

 _A momentous occasion!_

"A most excellent job, Power Rangers!" Dimitria proudly stated. "With the Kraken defeated, the gateway to its realm has been forever sealed – never again to be opened upon the Earth."

"I'd love to be a fly on the wall right now in Divatox's Subcraft," Cassie said with a smirk.

"What about the oceans?" Carlos asked.

"Sparkling blue, the world over," Alpha answered. It had, in fact, taken very little time for natural waters to spread out and reclaim the Earth's oceans once the Great Beast had been defeated.

"Man, thank you, guys," T.J. said, shaking the hand of the Red Time Force Ranger. "If it wasn't for you..."

"Hey, we live on this planet, too," Katie said. "Albeit, a few years down the line..."

"Just a few?" Ashley chuckled. It was still amazing to consider that the Earth remained under the protection of the Power Rangers over a thousand years into the future.

"I'm just sorry we weren't as much help to you as you were to us," Cassie said. "I wish...I wish we'd been able to stop Djolnel."

"You did everything you could," Jen assured them, although the look of disappointment on her face was unmistakable.

"We'll get him next time," said Lucas, looking his leader in the eye. Like her, he had been determined that this be their last pursuit of the monster, but he also knew that they would get another chance soon. It was important that they didn't lose hope.

She nodded, feigning agreement with her teammate. Unbeknownst to those around her, the source of the Pink Time Force Ranger's current mood ran considerably deeper – a conversation with the Blue Senturion that had presented her with a monumental decision, one in which she wasn't sure she had made the right choice.

"So, how long can you guys stay?" Carlos asked. Despite his initial trepidations, he now found himself longing to spend more time with the team from the future.

"Not long," Trip answered, regretfully, sharing a look with his teammates. "We have somewhere else we need to be."

"Hey, where's Justin?" Ashley asked, the rest of the Rangers actually wondering the same thing.

"He's in the Turbo Zord Parking Hangar helping your buddies secure the shuttle for transportation," Alpha answered.

"I'll go on ahead," Lucas said, heading for the door. "Give them a hand to finish up."

 _And maybe eat a slice of humble pie, too._

* * *

The Power Chamber

-Turbo Zord Parking Hangar-

 _This is so cool!_

"That'll do it, Chase!" Justin yelled, giving a thumbs up to the Time Force officer as the Raptor 2 descended on top of the Time Shuttle, the docking clamps closing to secure the vessel to the Zord's base and effectively prep it for transportation.

"Justin, my man!" Chase yelled from the Zord's open cockpit as two weight bearing legs descended from the machine down to the floor.

"Thanks, Justin. We couldn't have done it without you," Natasia said with a smile, brushing behind her ear the dark hair that had come loose from its clasp.

That wasn't true, of course, and the young Turbo Ranger knew it but he had just wanted to be a part of it. Zords from the 31st century? When would he ever again get an opportunity like this!?

"So you think the Raptor's inertial field will be able to compensate for the extra mass of the Time Shuttle?" he asked.

"Absolutely," replied Circuit, landing on Natasia's forearm. "The Raptors are specially designed for transporting Time Force vehicles and weaponry through the timestream."

"Looks like you guys have things under control," Lucas observed upon entering the hangar, waving off Natasia's salute as he approached, never one for such formalities.

"Could you give us a moment, Taz?" he asked, placing his hand on Justin's shoulder.

Saluting again, Natasia gave a wink to the young Ranger. "Come on, Circuit," she said, heading over to her own Raptor and leaving the two Blue Rangers alone.

An awkward silence commenced as Lucas stood with his hands in his pockets, trying to decide the best way to proceed. "So...you ever get a look behind that helmet when you morph?"

"Nah," Justin said, shrugging. "As soon as the helmet comes off, I change back. I guess you're not really meant to get that sort of glimpse into the future."

Lucas laughed at the comment. "Yeah, well, some things are best left unknown."

"Where did you learn to drive like that?" the Blue Turbo Ranger asked. "I mean, that was incredible how you caught up with the Demon Racer!"

"Ha, yeah. Actually, back home, I'm kind of a champion racecar driver," Lucas replied, modestly, a grand departure from the bragging manner in which he was accustomed to telling the story.

"No way!" Justin said.

"Yeah," the Time Force officer replied, looking at his feet. "Look, that wasn't really what I wanted to talk to you about. I owe you an apology."

"No, you don't need to..." Justin began to say.

"Yeah, I do!" Lucas interrupted. "I've had...kind of a LOT going on, recently, but that doesn't excuse the way I treated you, earlier today. So...I'm sorry." As it passed his lips, he couldn't help but wonder how it was that that word had become such a significant part of his vocabulary as of late? "Actually, if I'm being REALLY honest?" he continued. "I was kind of jealous."

"Of me!?" Justin asked, unable to fathom how this cool, good looking, Time Force officer, time machine pilot, champion racer and Power Ranger from the future could be jealous of anything that HE brought to the table.

"Yeah!" Lucas continued. "I mean, I come here and meet this kid who, at twelve years old, has already achieved my greatest accomplishment? Man, there were times I thought that I was NEVER going to become a Time Force officer, let alone a Power Ranger!" He hesitated a moment for dramatic effect. "I wasn't just jealous – I was intimidated!"

The Blue Turbo Ranger blushed, unsure of how to respond to such an unexpected compliment.

"I've gotta tell you, though, Justin," the Time Force officer continued. "You're an AMAZING Power Ranger."

Justin throwing his arms around him was the last reaction that Lucas had expected, having no idea just how much his words had meant to the young Turbo Ranger. Unsure of how else to respond, he simply went with what felt natural, putting his own arms around the boy and returning the hug.

The doors of the hangar sliding open, Lucas put his hands in the air at the sight of the rest of the Rangers walking towards him, Justin's arms still wrapped around his waist.

"As you were, officer Kendall," Wes said, unable to hide his amusement at Lucas's embarrassment.

"So, are we ready for departure?" Jen asked, smirking at the touching scene upon which she and the others had intruded.

"It sure is!" Justin replied, excitedly. "Wait! Does that mean...you're all leaving already?" he asked, looking up to his fellow Blue Ranger for the answer.

"I'd love to stay longer, Justin, but..." He bowed his head at the thought of what faced him when he returned home. "Well, we've had a lot going on."

"We'll miss you guys," Ashley said, hugging Katie and Jen at the same time.

"Yeah, try not to mess up the future TOO badly," Cassie said sarcastically, embracing the two Time Force officers in the same way.

"I've been wanting to ask you: what is that gem on your forehead?" Carlos asked as he and Trip broke their embrace.

"Oh, all of my people have it! I'm a Xybrian, from the planet Xybria!" the Green Time Force Ranger answered. "Well, bye, Carlos!" he said , turning around and boarding Natasia's Raptor.

"What...wait! You're an alien!?" Carlos yelled after him.

"Maybe we'll fight together again, some day," Wes said, shaking the hand of the Red Turbo Ranger.

"Yeah, maybe," T.J. replied, almost certain that he detected something in the Red Time Force Ranger's words.

"Goodbye, T.J," Jen said, putting her arms around the Turbo Rangers' leader.

"It was an honour to fight alongside you," he replied.

"Are you kidding? It was OUR honour to fight next to a legendary team of Rangers, such as yourselves," Katie said, flinging her arm over Jen's shoulders.

"Wait, did you say...legendary?" Carlos asked, almost positive he had misheard.

"Yeah!" Katie responded, Jen nodding emphatically, the pair knowing that this upstart team of Rangers could use a few words of encouragement. "You have no idea what kind of legacy you leave behind."

"Really!?" Ashley said, wearing a smile wider than her face at the gushing compliment.

"Well, I guess this is it," Lucas said. "We really do need to get back."

Quickly saying their final goodbyes, the Time Force officers boarded Raptor 1, the access ramp receding behind them.

"Hey, kid!" Lucas yelled as the doors began to close. "Keep on kicking ass!"

Responding with a salute, Justin could just about make out the Blue Time Force officer returning the gesture as the doors closed in front of him.

Taking his seat in the Raptor carrier bay with the others, Lucas took a deep breath, the high of their earlier victory already beginning to fade. Katie placed her hand on his, a reminder that he wasn't going to face tomorrow alone.

The rest of the team followed in kind, all five Rangers now holding hands as they prepared to face the future together.

A thunderous crash telling them it was okay to look, the Turbo Rangers opened their eyes, the hangar noticeably less crowded than it had been only seconds before.

The Time Force Power Rangers were gone, returned to the future – a future that was, undoubtedly, in good hands.

The Power Rangers of 1997 looked at one another, each of them thinking the same thing:

"Legends?" Cassie said, bursting with happiness, as the five heroes embraced with a group hug in celebration of their victory today and of the news that their exploits would be remembered a thousand years from now.

Looking at the smiling faces of his teammates, T.J. felt a renewed sense of determination flowing through him. As much as it was an honour to receive such an accolade, he knew that it was also a huge responsibility to live up to – one that he absolutely knew they could achieve.

 _Maybe we are cut out for this hero stuff, after all..._

* * *

 **epowerrangertimeforceteamuppowerrang**

 **Millennium City (3005 AD)**

The Epsilon Facility

-Roof-

 _And now it's over._

Jen stood alone, looking out at the Pacific Ocean over the reaches of Millennium City. Yesterday, she and her team had joined forces with a team of Power Rangers in the 20th century to battle a mighty beast in those very waters, and today, over a thousand years removed, another mighty entity had been layed to rest in that same ocean.

Ransik was dead, his ashes spread over the sparkling waters.

With the high risk posed to security, the ceremony had been small, the details kept secret to all but the few. As one would expect, the mutants were in greatest number of those in attendance – Nadira knowing those who her father held in trust.

Also as expected, Time Force had little presence, at all – apart from the Rangers, themselves, only a handpicked few selected to attend and 'represent.' It was of little wonder that peace between man and mutant was such a painstaking task. Despite all that he had accomplished in the last five years in order to achieve just that, nobody cared that the former mutant overlord had lost his life in battle ALONGSIDE humankind.

The irony of five Power Rangers being the ones to carry the casket of who was once their greatest enemy was not lost on ANYBODY, but it had been Nadira's request that they make that walk with her – a final display that the wounds of the past could be healed and that man and mutant could work together for a better future.

The exact message that her father had strived to spread.

It had come as quite a surprise to Jen that, after their confrontation a few days prior, Nadira hadn't had her removed from the proceedings. Not a word had been spoken between the two since, including during and after the ceremony. Her guilt remained as strong as before.

She could only hope that, in death, Ransik finally could find the peace that had been denied to him in life.

"Do you know why I had my father's ashes scattered across the ocean?"

Jen turned around sharply at the sound of the voice from behind her, lost so deep in her own dwelling that she hadn't heard Nadira's approach.

"When I was young, just a little girl, he used to tell me that I must have come from the ocean because I was much too beautiful to be born of this ugly world of man and mutant," she said, answering her own question.

The Pink Time Force Ranger swallowed hard. "He was...complicated, your father. But the one thing that was NEVER in question was how much he loved you."

Nadira nodded slowly, a tear running down her cheek. "I don't blame you," she said sincerely without making eye contact. "It wasn't your fault.

"My father was fighting a constant battle within himself. He strived to rid himself of the monster – he strived to embrace his humanity. The serum he used to return his strength, so that he could fight Djolnel, threatened that humanity – threatened to strip away all that he had achieved since..." She paused for a moment, her lips trembling as she fought back the urge to break down. "I know he would rather have died as a man than have lived as a monster. YOU gave him the strength to make that choice. Thank you."

As Nadira made her way back down into the building, Jen wiped away the tears that streamed down her own face, Zordon's last words to her now finally making sense.

'The stars do not illustrate our fates; we are received by our decisions at destiny's call.'

Nothing is written. Ransik believed that, and that belief had given him the strength to choose his own destiny.

She knew the guilt would never fully go away but, already, Jen felt a hundred pounds lighter – Nadira's show of strength at this time giving HER the strength to finally let go of that which she had carried around these last painful few weeks and, just maybe, inspiring her to find the strength within to finally stop Djolnel once and for all.

 _Thank you, Nadira._

* * *

-Officer's Quarters-

 _It's now or never._

Walking down the narrow corridor, Nadira felt her heart begin to pound once again – that voice inside her telling her to turn around just as it had many times before.

No! She HAD to do this. Fear could not be allowed to dictate her decisions any longer. She had the power to choose. Reaching her destination, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"Nadira?" Lucas said, looking up from his data drive.

"Lucas," she began, her voice quivering. "I...there's something..."

"No, listen," the Blue Time Force Ranger interrupted, getting up off of the chair. His mission report could wait. "I made you a promise. I promised you that Djolnel would be my last mission..."

"Lucas, please listen..."

"No, not until I've said what I need to say," he interrupted again. "I made you a promise and I know that it might have looked like a promise I can't keep but..."

"I'm pregnant!" she cried over the top of his words.

Lucas Kendall stood dumbfounded, his mouth moving as if to speak but no sound was being made. What seemed like an eternity passed before he finally managed to utter a single word. "What?"

The daughter of Ransik looked at him from across the room, her eyes once again filling with tears. "I'm pregnant, Lucas."

 _I'm pregnant._

 **erstimeforceteamuppowerrangerstimeforc**

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

 **Next Chapter – 1998: "Across Time and Space"**


	7. 1998

**Author's note –**

 **Better late than never! Part 2 of this chapter now up!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable characters, places, names etc. in this non profit fanfiction.

Rated T as chapters contain violence and occasional mild bad language.

* * *

 **Power Rangers: Time Force Team-Up**

 **Chapter 1998: "Across Time and Space"**

 **Part 1**

 **Angel Grove, California**

Angel Grove Park

 _Keep moving._

He hit the ground running. They were right behind him.

It was hard to tell from the sound of the footsteps pounding on the grass how many there were, exactly, but he was sure that at least three had followed him into the vortex.

At full strength, three Rangers would be no match for him...

...but he wasn't at full strength. Far from it.

And the others would be here soon.

He couldn't allow them to catch up to him – he couldn't allow them to stop him! Not when he was THIS close to completing the mission! Ignoring the pain in his side that begged him to stop, Djolnel pushed himself to move faster.

The Black Quantum Ranger wasted no time. Knowing that the enemy would run, he had pushed past the momentary disorientation of being reformed from pure chroniton energy and erupted into a sprint immediately.

Even with the world passing in a blur, he knew where he was. He had recognised it the very second they had emerged from the timestream.

Angel Grove Park.

He was home.

How long he had been in the stream he wasn't certain, nor did he know what year they had arrived in, but there was no time to think about either of those things right now.

Glancing quickly to his right, his resolve was strengthened by the sight of the White and Purple Quantum Rangers running alongside him.

They had all made it.

The three had come in hot on the heels of their enemy, courtesy of the revised Hitchhiker application, giving Djolnel absolutely no time to release the Sands or to create any kind of distance between himself and them. On top of that, the battle with the Megaforce Rangers had clearly taken a toll – one that, by the looks of it, wasn't going to be so easy to recover from.

He was wounded. Running scared.

This was their chance. They could put an end to this RIGHT NOW.

Normally, there would be more concern for the immediate safety of the many civilians present in the always boisterous municipal park.

Not today.

Their enemy had but one objective and he wasn't about to risk slowing himself down by attacking the innocents around him.

They had him exactly how they wanted him and, of course, they wouldn't need to do it alone.

The brilliant white blaze appearing on cue and stripping them of sight, they all stopped in their tracks – none of them requiring that lost sense to know who it was that was joining them...

Her physical form re-materialising from the light, Jen reacted quickly to the scene in front of her: three Quantum Rangers – her friends, who had disappeared into the stream over a week before – and, of course, the monster, himself.

"Djolnel!"

His dark eyes lifted to the sight of the six Time Force officers who had appeared in front of him, and then back at the three Power Rangers behind him – grimacing at the pain that came with twisting his torso.

"I think your time's up," Katie said.

"Ready?" Jen asked her team, pressing her finger against her Chrono Morpher.

"Ready!" they confirmed in unison – Wes, Katie, Lucas and Trip acting in kind and pressing their own fingers against their wrist devices.

"It's Time for Time Force!"

"Quantum Power!" yelled Eric into his Quantum Morpher, disappearing with his friends behind a curtain of energy.

Aware that his options were quickly running out, Djolnel attempted to make a break for Angel Grove Lake – a last ditch effort to avoid capture – when he was brought to his knees by a blast fired from within the Morphin energy before it had even dispersed.

"Looks like you're caught between a rock and a hard place!" Eric quipped, holding the still-smoking Quantum Defender in his hand.

"A REAL hard place!" the Purple Quantum Ranger confirmed from behind him.

"This is the end of the road!" Wes added, he and the rest of the Rangers fanning out around their adversary.

Such threats, Djolnel had heard many times before. This time, however, was different. His shoulder smouldering from the Red Quantum Ranger's attack, he couldn't even find the strength to stand up.

He had nothing left – a localised jump completely out of the question. He hadn't even managed to recover from the LAST battle, never mind put up an adequate fight in this one. The dozen limp tentacles that hung from his body were a testament to that.

The glowing blue hourglass appearing from a gash that opened in his palm, he made a final feeble effort to release the Sands of Time – the means of his escape to be worked out afterwards – before the White Ranger's weapon removed the device from his grasp.

"I don't think so, ugly!" Natasia commented, the canister pinned to the ground by the Quantum Tri-Blade that she had hurled in his direction.

Jen could barely believe it. So many times before, she had watched the opportunity slip through their fingers.

Not this time.

Surrounded by nine Power Rangers, weapons drawn, and with no power left of his own, Djolnel had nowhere to go.

FINALLY.

Feeling the Yellow Time Force Ranger's gaze upon her, Jen took a deep breath as she battled the urge to inflict any extra injury upon her nemesis.

"Let's bring him in."

At last, it was over. Watching their enemy helpless before them, the Black Quantum Ranger felt a huge weight lifted off of his shoulders. Stopping the monster now wouldn't undo any of the damage that he had already done, nor would it bring back any of those who had been lost along the way but now, at least, he wouldn't be able to do any MORE damage.

And, just maybe, it would help to heal the wounds of his own previous failures to stop him.

As Katie and Wes approached their prisoner, the other seven Rangers kept their blasters trained on him – all too aware that he could NEVER be underestimated, even in a state such as he was currently in.

Unable to lift his head, much less offer resistance, all Djolnel could see were the Red and Yellow boots of his captors – not even the familiar hum of the energy bracelets they brought to restrain him offering motivation.

He was done.

Bending down, the Yellow Ranger grabbed the monster by his weak arms, forcing them together so that Wes could apply Time Tech's newly redesigned restraints when, suddenly, the ground next to them was improbably struck by a bolt of lightning.

"Whoa!" the Red Ranger yelped, both he and Katie jumping at the unexpected occurrence.

"What the hell?" Lucas muttered to himself, looking up at the clear blue skies – not a cloud in sight – a mere second before another bolt struck the ground beside him. A third followed, and then a fourth – lightning now seemingly raining down all across the park, sending those civilians who had been brave enough to hang around to watch the events running for their lives.

"What's going on?" the Purple Ranger asked, wondering whether he wouldn't be better following the fleeing Angel Grove residents, when another blast from the sky struck right in the centre of their circle – swallowing within it Djolnel before retreating back into the skies and leaving no trace of the monster.

"What!?" Jen cried out.

"Where did he go!?" Eric asked, looking around for some sign of their enemy, when a hideous, screeching cackle all but answered the question for him.

"My, my, my..." Rita Repulsa pondered, her long fingers wiggling around the shaft of her wand-staff as she stood amidst the lightning that rained down all around them.

From behind the Rangers came a second voice – the very sound of which saw Jen's fists and jaws clenching tightly.

"Why, if it isn't our 'old friends' from times-yet-to-come," the being hissed through the metallic grill that covered his mouth, his single glowing red eye staring directly at the Pink Time Force Ranger. "And, if I'm not mistaken," he continued, pointing his jagged sceptre at the Black Quantum Ranger, "one, too, from times-gone-by."

"Lord Zedd," Jason growled, far from happy at the sight of his old enemy.

"We can't tell you how happy we are for this opportunity to make your acquaintance, once again," said Princess Archerina, her robotic form appearing from the lightning. "We're here to settle old debts!"

"You scoundrels didn't really believe that you'd seen the last of us?" her husband, Prince Gasket, asked as the number of enemies surrounding the Rangers continued to grow. "The Machine Empire does not forget and it certainly does not forgive."

"Return our prisoner!" Jen demanded, she and the rest of her team standing back to back, unwilling to risk taking their eyes off of any of them for even a second.

"Now, now, Little Miss Pink," Divatox snorted, her body still crackling with electricity as she took her place in the extra terrestrial perimeter that had formed around the Rangers. "You may not have noticed, but you're not in ANY position to be making those types of demands."

"What now?" Trip asked, gulping.

"We fight!" answered Katie, looking and sounding a lot more confident than she truly was.

The Rangers looked from side to side as they tracked the movements of the five nefarious beings who circled around their position – the space between them and their enemies growing smaller by the second as lightning continued to fall all around.

A long golden claw extending from the gauntlet on her forearm, Divatox licked her lips. Working together with Rita and Zedd was something she never would have imagined – much less these outcasts of Machine Royalty – but it was undeniable that, united, they were unstoppab...

"Hey, Divatox! On your left!"

The voice catching her off guard, Divatox barely had time to react to the jetboard-like vehicle that sped through the air towards her head!

"Argh!" she grunted, tumbling to the ground in an undignified display as two more of the vehicles soared past.

"Someone order backup?" the Blue Space Ranger asked, his Black and Yellow garbed teammates dismounting from their Galaxy Gliders alongside him and landing on the grass next to the Time Force Power Rangers.

"You!" Divatox screeched as she scrambled back to her feet.

"Did you miss us?" the Yellow Space Ranger responded.

"Miss you!? I'm going to KILL you!" she growled back, her body shaking with rage.

"I don't think I like your odds!" the Black Space Ranger proclaimed, his Lunar Lance materialising in his hands.

Twelve Power Rangers now stood ready for battle, weapons primed. With only half of the Space Rangers' roster accounted for, it was all but a certainty that the rest of their number would be soon to join them, as well – saying nothing of the three new Rangers amongst the time travellers' ranks, their powers and abilities not yet known. With the inclusion of all of these new variables, Gasket concluded that now was not the correct time to wage battle.

"This isn't over," the robot Prince declared, he and Archerina stepping backwards into the electrical anomaly, leaving the same way they had arrived.

"See you soon, Rangers!" Lord Zedd promised, following the lead of the Machines, both he and his wife vanishing within the lightning.

Her anger only intensifying at the sight of her cohorts retreating, Divatox let loose a scream of frustration as, begrudgingly, she too was swallowed by electricity and disappeared.

The storm surrounding them subsiding and the park now free of hostiles, the twelve Rangers let out a collective sigh of relief. Even with the numbers on their side, each of them knew that, against five beings of that kind of power, nothing was assured. It was something to be grateful for that their enemies had reached a similar conclusion.

"Are you guys okay?" the Yellow Space Ranger asked.

"Yeah," Wes answered, looking around at his teammates to make sure that was the correct answer. "Thanks."

"Hey, we owed you one," the Blue Space Ranger replied.

Realising that he recognised his voice, Wes paused for all of a second. "T.J?"

"All day, every day," the former Red Turbo Ranger said, extending his hand.

"You dye the costume in the wash?" the Time Force Ranger asked jokingly as he grabbed his friend's hand in his own. "It's good to see you, man!"

"You, too," he replied, taking a look over at the four Quantum Rangers. "You guys been hiring?"

"We saw the lightning from across town," Ashley explained. "We got here as quickly as we could to check it out."

"Yeah, but I don't think any of us were expecting this!" Carlos said. "What are you guys even doing here!? Is it Djolnel? Is he here?"

"They took him," Jen answered, gravely.

"What would they want with Djolnel?" Ashley wondered out loud, not sure it was a question she really wanted to know the answer to.

"Nothing good," replied Jason.

"Something is definitely going on," T.J. agreed. "I think it'd be a good idea if we all head back to the ship. We're going to need to be ready."

"The ship?" Lucas asked, curiously.

"Hold on a second," Jen interrupted. "T.J...what year is this?"

The Blue Space Ranger looked at her for a second, a tad surprised that they required him to provide that information. "It's 1998."

The answer hit the Time Force Rangers like a ton of bricks.

"Come on," T.J. said enthusiastically, oblivious to the looks that the future Rangers wore beneath their helmets. "Just wait 'till you see the new digs – they're out of this world!"

 _And I mean that LITERALLY!_

* * *

CBS Broadcast Centre

 _Where the hell does she think she's..._

"Delgado! Delgado! For God's sake, María, wait the hell up!"

So close! Cursing under her breath, she pressed the door closed and turned around to face her editor. "What's us, boss?"

"Don't give me that crap," he puffed, breathless from the short jog along the hallway. "Where. Are. You. Going? And, before you feed me a tablespoon of bullshit, know that I already know where you are going."

María bit down on her bottom lip. He knew how much that annoyed her – asking her to answer a question that he already knew the answer to!

It was infuriating.

"María?"

"The Power Rangers thing in the park," she finally replied. "Numerous eyewitness accounts have placed as many as a dozen Rangers..."

"Shit! María..." he groaned, his fingers pressed into his eyes.

"TWELVE Power Rangers, Max! You know what that means!"

"You're not going."

"But..."

"No."

"But I need to..."

"I already put Carson on it."

"Are you kidding me!? Carson!? That drunk!" she screamed, their conversation now attracting the attention of others on the floor – not that such a confrontation between the pair wasn't something that all of them had witnessed AT LEAST once before.

"This is my story, Max! I've been chasing this one down for..."

"And you almost died three God damned times, María!" he said, holding three fingers up in front of her face for emphasis.

She swatted his hand away, not requiring the visual aid.

Max turned his attention, momentarily, to the growing number of observers in the newsroom, a mere glance sending them all back about their own business before he turned back around to face María. "My office. NOW."

Huffing, she dragged her feet across the floor as her editor led the way – like a naughty child being taken to the principal's office.

"Okay, listen to me, because I'm about to say something to you now that very few people have ever heard," he said as he closed his office door. "I was wrong. When I told you that you weren't going to find a story there, you followed your gut and it paid off – BIG time.

"That 'Guardian Rangel' piece you wrote..."

"That was YOUR title, not MINE! That was never the story I wanted to..."

"Wasn't it? C'mon, María, that story had everything! It had action! It had danger! It had a damsel in distress!"

"DON'T call me that!" she yelled, pointing a finger in his face.

"It had romance."

"I had...it absolutely did not have..."

"Come on! A mysterious masked hero pulls you from a helicopter wreckage? He brought you back to life after you drowned! For God's sake, he took a bullet for you – or a 'laser blast' or whatever! And you've never even seen his face!"

She swallowed hard upon hearing that last part.

"Whether you meant it or not, it was sexy. That's why people loved it. I'll never understand why you didn't take that book deal," he continued.

"Because they didn't want the real story, they wanted some kind of...'fabrication' of..."

"Do you know how many letters we got from bored, single – AND married – women after you wrote that piece? Hundreds, María. Hundreds and hundreds. So, what? They wanted you to sex things up a little bit more? The book would have sold thousands."

"That's not what I wanted to..."

"My point is that you got the story. I was wrong...but I'm not wrong now. You need to get off of this train. You're too deep in this one."

"I'm not finished! I've barely scratched the surface of what's going on! I owe it to myself to follow this right to the end!"

"And that's why you want to go over there? To get the end of your story? Is it? Or are you going down there so that your superhero crush can save you for the fourth time?"

Her eyes and mouth widened in response to the accusation, her exaggerated features leaving her looking like a caricature of her true self. "Screw you! Pendejo!"

"You're not going down there – that is a direct instruction that you will follow or, I don't care how much of a big shot you are around here, I will clear out your desk myself!

"Is. That. Clear?"

María bit her lip again as she resisted the urge to respond too sharply. "Crystal," she eventually said.

"Excellent!" Max responded, opening the door for her. "Now, get your mind off of this Power Rangers stuff. Power Rangers – that's yesterday's headline, anyway. Think 'current.' What people want to read about is...that a big money soccer player across the pond wants to marry a Spice Girl. Celebrity wedding – THAT is news! THAT is current! Get me something like that."

Her bottom lip still between her teeth, she took her time making the walk to her own office. Reaching into the pocket of the coat she hugged to her chest, she took out a key and unlocked the door.

Celebrity wedding?

She turned the key back the other way.

"Sorry, Max..." she said quietly, slinging her jacket over her shoulder as she made her way to the elevator.

 _...but I can't let this one go that easily._

* * *

 **Earth's Orbit**

The Astro Megaship

-Access Corridor, Megadeck 1-

 _Man, he is NOT gonna believe this!_

"Time Force, welcome aboard the Astro Megaship!" T.J. announced.

"Um...wow," Lucas said, trying his best to sound genuine, the Space Rangers having no way of knowing that this wasn't the first time that the core Time Force team had stepped foot on board the vessel (nor that the Megaship itself held little marvel for visitors from over a thousand years in the future.)

Of more interest to the future Rangers was what the Megaship represented.

An era was at its end.

"I STILL think we should have called ahead to tell him!" Ashley said, a little uncomfortable with bringing the nine time travelling Rangers on board without authorisation.

"Are you kidding?" T.J. asked. "I wanna SEE the look on his face when we tell him that these guys are Power Rangers from the 31st century!"

Following the incident in the park, the Space Rangers had done a quick sweep of the surrounding area on their Galaxy Gliders – just to make sure that nothing was amiss – before teleporting themselves and the Time Force team aboard the Megaship.

"Maybe we should listen to Ashley," suggested Jen, cautious of where this was headed.

Hitchhiker offered many advantages to the Time Force Rangers in their pursuit of Djolnel.

The inability to know your destination in the timeline when reaping such benefits, however, was, so far, the most notable disadvantage documented with the application – forcing them to jump in blind.

Finding themselves here, right before one of the most pivotal moments in all of recorded history, really made her miss that oh-so-brief period of preparation they used to have before missions.

"Carlos, did you manage to get a hold of Cassie?" T.J. asked, seemingly ignoring Jen's question.

"She'll be here, soon," came his friend's reply.

"Man, it so cool that you guys are Rangers now, too," T.J. said of Natasia and Chase, the duo merely acting as 'additional support' during their last meeting.

"Eric and...Jason, right?" Carlos walked backwards as he addressed the only members among the time travellers that hadn't been involved in their 'big team-up' the previous year.

"You know, the very first Red Ranger that Zordon chose was called Jason, as well."

"Um...who was it you said you were taking us to meet?" Jason asked, deliberately veering away from THAT conversation.

Just then, a doorway opened at the end of the corridor and a long haired man stepped out, looking up suddenly from the tablet-like device he held in his hands – the wide eyed look of surprise on his face quickly evolving into one of concern.

"Andros!" Trip yelled excitedly at the sight of the Red Space Ranger.

"Wait, you guys know each other?" Carlos asked, confused.

"No. No we don't," Andros replied, quickly about-facing and running off.

Trip winced as he felt Jen's gaze descend upon him. He had done it again!

"Hey! Hey, Andros!" yelled Carlos. "Where are you going?"

Rolling her eyes, at both her boyfriend's reaction to the situation and at herself for not simply calling ahead like she knew they should have, Ashley joined in the pursuit of the Red Space Ranger as he disappeared around the tight twists and turns of the Megaship corridors – disturbingly reminiscent of the first time that they themselves had met him – until they finally caught up to him, standing anxiously with his back against the wall.

"Andros!" Ashley shouted as she and her teammates stepped closer towards him. "Can you just stop for a..."

"DECA, initiate Intruder Containment Procedure: M3-6-4!"

On his command, a net-like energy field formed between the walls of the corridor, running from the ceiling to the floor, separating the Space Rangers from the Time Force officers.

"Hey, what gives!? Ow!" Chase yelped, the energy-field sending a shock through his body when he pressed his hand against it. Looking around, it was quickly evident that it wasn't only the path forward that was denied to them but the way back, too.

"Andros, what are you doing!?" T.J. cried.

"Are you guys crazy!?" came his reply. "You can't just bring whoever you like on board!"

"T.J!" hollered Jen, none too impressed.

"Andros, no!" Carlos protested. "They're Power Rangers, like us!"

"No, they're not!" he replied. "This is a trap – a way for our enemies to infiltrate and destroy us! And you just..."

"Calm down and listen for a minute!" Ashley demanded. "This isn't a trap! We know these guys! They're the Power Rangers from..."

"I can't believe you could have fallen for this so easily! After the Psycho Rangers and..."

"They're not Psycho Rangers!"

"What the hell's a Psycho Ranger?" Eric asked, receiving little more than a shrug from Wes in response.

"We need to get them off of the ship right NOW," Andros said, adamantly, still not convinced that the strangers were who his friends thought them to be.

"Jen? Lucas?"

Jason stepped forward at the sound of the robot's voice – instantly recognisable and, yet, not exactly as he remembered it. Nonetheless, the sight of the short red and gold droid hobbling towards them instantly brought a smile to his face.

"Alpha!" cried Katie, also happy to see the robot.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Alpha...you know them?" asked Andros.

"That's what we've been trying to tell you!" Ashley shrieked through gritted teeth, actually EXTREMELY annoyed that it took Alpha's inclusion to finally convince him to listen.

"Know them? Of course I know them!" Alpha 6 replied. "Andros, allow me to formally introduce to you: the Time Force Power Rangers!"

The Red Space Ranger turned his head round slowly towards his prisoners, noting the Time Force branding located on the white and black uniform that each of them were wearing and something visible on one of their wrists that looked a lot like a...

He brought his gaze upwards until his eyes locked with those of the girl on the other end of the force-field.

"Hey," Jen said, looking very unamused.

"Um...hey..." Andros muttered, giving a small wave that did little to change the expression on her face.

Still, if looks could kill, it wouldn't have been her that he was worried about. No, that honour went to Ashley, standing with her hands on her hips and glaring at him with eyes that felt like they might burn a hole straight through him.

"Soooooo...any chance of you, I dunno, letting us out of here?" Jen asked after a few moments of silence.

 _We wouldn't want this getting awkward..._

* * *

 **Typhon's Orbit, The M-51 Galaxy**

The Dark Fortress

-Observation Deck-

 _LOOK at them._

To say she wasn't thrilled would be something of an understatement.

Resisting the urge to retch, she slowly made her way towards the gathering ahead.

The Dark Fortress was HER stronghold! HER domain! Never would she allow such an unsightly horde to even step foot upon it!

Unfortunately, there was one who's voice was heard louder than her own...

...and it was to HE whom they answered this summons.

"You're late," Rita squawked, making no effort to hide her disdain for her leather-clad rival.

Astronema offered little in the way of a response, merely continuing her leisurely stroll towards the group.

"Wow, looks like the gang's all here, huh?" Elgar said excitedly, the cone-headed alien following closely behind her.

"Who invited him!?" barked Divatox, sneering at her estranged nephew – once a lieutenant in her own ranks, now a mainstay aboard the Fortress.

"You all brought YOUR dogs," Astronema replied, noting the presence of Rygog and Goldar alongside their masters.

"Heh, yeah, you all brought...wait, what?" Elgar mumbled, the dim-witted henchman taking several moments to understand the insult.

"Did you just refer to me as some kind of pet!?" Archerina's question was purposely antagonistic, the robot Princess knowing full well that that wasn't what Astronema had implied.

"Enough bickering!" Lord Zedd demanded. "Isn't it about time that this meeting was brought to order?"

"Yes, when might our most endearing host deem us worthy enough to be graced by his presence?" Prince Gasket asked, snarkily.

"As you wish," Astronema replied, banging the bottom of her Wrath Staff against the floor.

The walls and ceiling fading to absolute transparency to reveal the vastness of outer space all around them, the brash Prince fell back at the discovery that their 'most endearing host' was already here...

With eyes that burned like twin suns, Dark Specter looked down upon the unholy gathering, the stars blocked out by his colossal visage as he towered over the Dark Fortress.

"Report," he demanded immediately, his entire body smouldering as searing hot lava dripped from between the cracks in his rock-like body.

The collection of villains exchanged nervous glances. Even with only good news to report, there was always call for trepidation when you had an audience with the Grand Monarch of Evil, himself.

"Aquitar...has fallen," Divatox announced, stepping out in front of the others before any longer period of silence could pass. "Driven from their homeworld, the Aquitian Rangers have taken refuge on Gratha. Without the pure waters of their home world to replenish them, they grow weak. My army is holding in the planet's orbit, waiting for the opportune moment to strike!"

"Our forces have tracked the Triforian Gold Ranger to somewhere within the Vica Galaxy," Lord Zedd bragged, stepping up alongside the space pirate. "He is alone and vastly outnumbered – so weary from the pursuit that he has displayed diminishing ability to perform long distance teleportation. His apprehension is only a matter of time."

Not to be outdone, Prince Gasket barged his way in between Zedd and Divatox to take centre stage.

"The Machine Empire recently intercepted a series of encrypted transmissions between the Blue Senturion and that scallywag, the Phantom Ranger!" he bragged. "Their code was easily cracked – we know where they plan to rendezvous."

"Excellent," Dark Specter said, his mandibled mouth contorting into something that one less informed may have misconstrued as a smile. "Astronema, contact General Havok. I want whatever forces he can spare to convene with the Machines. The Phantom Ranger cannot be allowed to escape again."

"Of course, Dark Specter," she responded, bowing her head before taking her leave through the doorway that appeared upon her approach, Elgar trailing closely behind her.

"Almost all of the pieces are in place," Dark Specter continued. "The time of our greatest victory grows near. Soon, there will be no force left that can oppose us and, then, the ENTIRE universe will bow down to darkness."

"If I may, my dark emperor?" Lord Zedd asked. "I believe that these Time Force Power Rangers merit more...immediate action."

The entire Fortress shuddered in response to the deep, rumbling growl emitted from the Grand Monarch. He was not accustomed to being interrupted in such a way by a subordinate.

Feeling suddenly like he had committed a grave error in judgement, Zedd prepared himself for the worst...until he found support coming from the most unlikely of sources.

"Um...actually...as much as it PAINS me to admit it, I have to agree with 'Smiley' on this one." Divatox almost vomited the words out, so unpleasant was the notion.

"It is true," Archerina affirmed. "These fools from the future continue to return time and again to interfere in all of our plans. We must take this opportunity to eliminate them before..."

"Silence!"

He had heard enough.

The most advanced, most powerful civilisations and societies in the universe; Eltar, Triforia, Inquiris – even the mighty warrior world of Horath! None of them had been able to resist his advance. None of them able to mount any significant resistance against his forces and his claim of conquest when his shadow cast upon them!

All of them had fallen swiftly at his feet...

...yet, this one pathetic backwater planet in a primitive galaxy continued to defy him – a tiny blue speck on the outskirts of the cosmos that, somehow, continued to survive!

This was, of course, in no small part due to the team of Power Rangers who defended it.

And now there was ANOTHER team of Rangers on that world.

Time travelling Power Rangers.

Their very existence threw into question the future he was striving so hard to achieve!

Such doubt, there simply could not be.

Looking at the small assembly in front of him, Dark Specter wondered if he had, possibly, put too much faith in Astronema's capabilities?

Perhaps this eager triad could succeed where she had so consistently failed.

"The resources of the Dark Fortress are at your full disposal. Use whatever you may require. Destroy these time travelling Power Rangers," the Grand Monarch ordered, his image fading into the stars behind him, his parting words resonating even after he was gone.

"Do NOT fail me."

The sound of muffled laughter broke the brief silence that followed Dark Specter's departure.

"At last! I will FINALLY have my vengeance upon those time travelling interlopers!" cackled Lord Zedd.

"Your vengeance?" Prince Gasket scoffed. "Your time has long since passed! For years, you tried to dispose of the Power Rangers of Earth and, for years, you failed!"

"I don't recall YOU doing much better!" Rita screeched, objectively.

"No, that would be ME," Divatox said, a smug look across her face. "It was I who destroyed their little Power Chamber and sent them scurrying into the reaches of outer space for help. I defeated the Power Rangers before and I'll do it again!"

"Defeated them!?" Rita exclaimed. "Those Rangers are stronger than ever, thanks to you!"

"How dare you even..." Divatox began, taking an aggressive step towards the witch before she found herself staring down the long golden blade of Goldar.

"Now, now, there's no need for us to fight amongst ourselves," Lord Zedd interrupted, using the jagged head of his sceptre to lower his minion's weapon, "not when we can settle this far more effectively with a little 'friendly' wager?"

"What do you propose?" Archerina asked.

"We each launch our own attacks against the Rangers. Whichever of us is successful in our bid to destroy them..."

"...wins absolute dominion over the others," Divatox finished for him. "Armies, strongholds, territories. All of it."

"We agree to these terms," the Machine Prince said, no hesitation despite the high stakes.

"My Queen, are you sure this is a good idea?" Divatox's concerned General asked quietly.

"Shut up, Rygog!" she snapped. "Now if you'll all excuse me, the Monarch's hospitality not withstanding, I think I'll be on my way. The next time we see each other, I'll be collecting my payment in full. Ha!"

"Who does she think she is!?" squealed Rita as the pirate and her lackey disappeared through the doorway. "Come on, Zeddy! We'll make a monster that will..."

"A monster? How original," Prince Gasket scoffed.

"And what exactly did you have in mind?" Zedd growled back.

"You'll see soon enough," the robot chuckled, he and his bride also taking their leave.

"We need something good here, Zedd!" Rita said once alone with her husband, concern now seeping through the scowl on her face. She'd rather spend ANOTHER ten thousand years in a bucket than bow down before Divatox or the Machines.

"Agreed," he answered. "We need a monster unlike anything that has ever come before! Something new – something different!"

"Something the likes of which no Power Ranger has ever seen..." Rita mused as she looked at the stars displayed all around them.

...and _I think I know exactly how to do it._

* * *

The Dark Fortress

-Laboratory Level-

 _You're a stubborn one, aren't you?_

She was more impressed than surprised.

Pacing around the twitching body restrained on the operating table, Astronema looked curiously over the peculiar specimen they had captured on Earth.

Nobody had ever resisted the procedure this long.

Not even herself.

Leaning over, she peered down into the being's eyes – the darkness that filled them comparable only, perhaps, to her OWN dead eyes.

Eyes that weren't always dead.

She was human, once. A happy child on the planet KO-35, with wide sparkling eyes that conveyed clearly the sense of wonder and adventure within. Even after she was taken by the bounty hunter, Darkonda – ripped away from her home and her family and everything that she knew – to be raised and shaped by the forces of evil...

...to become Astronema...

...there still remained a spark of that happy little girl – the tiniest glimmer that one looking into those eyes might have perceived as 'hope.' She was evil through nurture rather than nature, and even nurture of the purest of evils wasn't enough to completely eradicate the human soul.

That was why Dark Specter had forced the procedure upon her – wiping away every last trace of goodness within her to transform her into the perfect Dark Princess that he had always wanted: cold, ruthless, unable to love or to feel – completely devoid of humanity.

She still had her memories from before. She could remember the day she discovered that the Red Power Ranger, her mortal enemy, was actually her brother – her own flesh and blood who had never given up hope that she was alive and that he would one day find her!

She could remember when he took her aboard the Astro Megaship, and he and the Earthling Rangers quickly accepted her as one of their own.

She could remember ALL of it...but she couldn't FEEL any of it.

The treatment had made her into exactly what Dark Specter had desired.

In fact, it had worked a little bit TOO well.

No longer complacent in her position as a Commander in his forces, Astronema now sought to unseat the Grand Monarch and rule over the entire universe, herself.

So, now, here she was using the procedure that had transformed her into a soulless monster upon another living being – tearing from him everything that he once was!

Only, she would ensure that this creature's ambitions did not grow to exceed his purpose.

He would be loyal only to her.

"What is he?"

"His genetic makeup is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Nothing detailed in the Dark Fortress database passes even the slightest resemblance. What's more, I was forced to conduct my analysis using a live sample after our scanners proved ineffective – failing to even detect his presence upon the table."

It was not often that such surprise could be detected within her General's voice.

Ecliptor was her most trusted warrior and, at one point, perhaps the only being in the universe whom she actually cared for.

But that was before. Now, he was but another tool built to serve her.

"And what of this container?" she enquired of the glowing hourglass, rotating slowly within a stasis beam.

"I have been unable to identify the substance held within," he answered, "however, I have been able to detect a trace presence of tachyon particles as well as a high likelihood of chroniton radiation."

Astronema's head snapped around at the mention of those words. "Chroniton radiation?"

Her concern was not unwarranted. Chronitons, even in the smallest of quantities, were synonymous with random and dangerous temporal anomalies of unpredictable consequence. If any of the substance should leak aboard the Dark Fortress...

Sensing her unease, Ecliptor shook his head. "The container appears somehow capable of preventing such emissions from escaping to the outside."

"Intriguing," she replied, her mouth curling into a half-smile. "Crank up the power."

Astronema looked on intently as the subject's body began to jerk violently – the convulsions only intensifying with each passing moment.

To a lesser being, such a sudden increase in intensity would have almost certainly proven fatal.

But this one was strong.

Unique.

With his knowledge and abilities – the power to hold time in his hand – he would be a valuable addition to her army...

 _...and another tool to use against Dark Specter._

 **End of Part 1**

* * *

 **Part 2**

The Astro Megaship

-Crew Quarters, Megadeck 2-

 _Man, that did NOT go as planned!_

"I'm really sorry, guys," Carlos said again, apologising for what had to be the tenth time in as many minutes.

"Don't worry about it," Wes said assuringly. "It makes sense that you guys would be cautious."

The Red Time Force Ranger wasn't quite as understanding as he made out.

Once it was established that the Time Force Rangers WERE who they claimed to be, everybody had assumed that Andros would be accommodating.

As it turned out, in fact, visitors from the future were very close to the top of the Red Space Ranger's list of 'those not welcome on board the Astro Megaship!'

"I guess," Carlos replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, Andros will come round...I think. In the meantime, if you guys could just stay here in Crew Quarters..."

"We understand, Carlos," confirmed Jen, keen for the Black Space Ranger to take his leave.

"You guys need anything? The Synthetron is on the deck below but I could make a stop on my way to..."

"We're fine, Carlos. Thanks," Katie said.

"Um, okay, well, I'm heading back to the Bridge," he replied, beginning to take the hint. "Hopefully, we can get this all figured out quickly."

He turned around and began to make his way along the corridor when he stopped, suddenly, turning back towards the Time Force officers.

"Back there, the way you said Andros's name? It sounded almost like you know him or..."

Trip lowered his head to avoid seeing the harsh glares from his teammates.

"Time Force history records," Jen lied. "We recognised the hair."

Carlos nodded, not entirely convinced of their answer, before continuing on his previous course.

"So, what? We're prisoners now?" asked Eric, once Carlos was out of sight, clearly frustrated with their situation.

"Not 'prisoners,' just...guests?" Wes said.

"Is an unwelcome guest still a guest?" Natasia mused.

Jason leaned back against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. Despite his leadership skills practically begging to be allowed to kick in, the former leader of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was still finding his place on his new team. The best thing he could do right now, he thought, was to take a back seat, listen, and try to learn all he could about their current predicament.

"Enough chat. Is this show moving or not?" Lucas asked, impatiently.

Jen didn't provide an answer. Her visual scanner forming across her eyes, she tapped behind her ear repeatedly as she honed in on DECA's digital frequency.

The on board computer of the Astro Megaship, DECA was responsible for monitoring and regulating the energy requirements across all six Megadecks. The wall mounted cameras acting as her eyes and ears, there wasn't a function on the entire vessel that she didn't have some hand in operating.

Unfortunately for DECA, there was the possibility of...'sensitive' subject matter being discussed that she simply couldn't be allowed to overhear.

Disabling DECA altogether wasn't an option – she was far too important in the everyday operations of the Megaship – however, by isolating her surveillance protocols, duplicating the signal and looping it back to her, it should be possible to 'hack' those isolated systems without detection, turning off her 'ears' and...

"We're clear," Jen confirmed, her scanner retracting with a touch behind her ear. "Trip?"

Nodding in response, the Green Time Force Ranger shook his arms loose, his belly expanding as he inhaled a deep breath into his diaphragm before blowing out slowly through his mouth.

For a few seconds, there was nothing...

...and then the four corners of the universe rushed to meet him.

 _Show me...where is Djolnel?_

* * *

 **Gratha's orbit, the Canas Galaxy**

Divatox's Space Base

-Construction Bay-

 _Almost finished...almost done..._

There was nothing that lit a fire under him more than the angry sound of those fast approaching footsteps echoing throughout the Space Base.

All he needed was one more second...

The blue light of his welding beam dissipating, he breathed a sigh of relief.

That didn't stop him, however, from almost jumping right out of his containment suit at the sound of the shrill shriek calling his name – only the quick reactions of his two Chromite assistants saving him from falling over the side of the construction platform and the long drop to the floor below.

"Porto!" screamed Divatox again as she stepped through the blast doors into the construction bay, the scowl on her face turning into a smile as she observed the magnificent creation before her.

It wasn't the first time she had seen it, but it was the first time she was going to use it.

"Y-yes, my Queen," her rotund miscreant replied, still clinging tightly to his Chromite saviours as the platform lowered towards the ground.

"Tell me it's ready," she said, excitedly.

"Yes, my Queen!" he answered. "The reinforcements of the outer hull have been completed and we are ready to begin preliminary tests!"

"Wonderful!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. "We're moving forward with a live trial."

"What!? But my Queen, we cannot!" he protested. "We must first determine how the power regulators handle the strain placed upon them by the..."

Snarling, Divatox stepped forward until her nose was literally pressed against the faceplate of his suit, making him wonder if he hadn't perhaps been safer up in the air.

"I said we're going LIVE!" she screamed right in face. "Those 'Time FARCE' Power Rangers are back on Earth and there's no way I'm letting Rita and that skinless bastard OR those misbegotten Machines claim MY prize because you were too busy running tests on the most advanced weapon this side of the universe!"

"Of-of-of course, my Queen! I-I-I meant no disrespect!" he stammered. "I only wish to..."

"I want it ready and I want it ready YESTERDAY!" she demanded, yelling after her science officer as he scurried off to make the preparations.

Soon, ALL of Earth's Power Rangers would fall before her, and then Dark Specter would finally see that it was never a 'Dark Princess' he needed by his side...

 _...it was a Pirate Queen!_

* * *

The Dark Fortress

-Observation Deck-

 _I can hear you._

"RAHMUM-DAT KHOA'ARON!"

Lord Zedd scoffed as he watched his wife hovering cross-legged several inches above the ground as she performed the ritual.

He shared not in her beliefs that the beings with whom she conversed in Bandoran tongue were deities deserving of worship, and it had long been a source of contempt for him that these entities who inhabited the ethereal plane commanded such reverence without ever having to endure the trials and tribulations that he himself had had to overcome in order to achieve it.

Normally, he would have no part in such a ceremony but, with their window of opportunity no doubt small, he had no choice other than to participate in the witch's sèance if they were to act before Divatox and the Machines.

"BAR-AKAT'D'UNUN!" continued Rita, reciting perfectly the almost forgotten ancient dialect. A smile formed across her face.

"The stars – they align for us."

"Finally," Lord Zedd growled. Her 'Gods' had done their part. Now it was time for his own contribution.

His sceptre crackling with electrical energy, he pointed its jagged Z-shaped head towards space – the stars seeming to burn even brighter in response.

"Embodiment of the Celestials, Zodius – arise! Arise and destroy the Power Rangers!"

The blasts of dark energy projected from his sceptre connecting the stars like some kind of intergalactic dot-to-dot, Rita squealed in delight at the colossal apparitions that manifested.

Lowering his sceptre, Zedd dropped to one knee – his body fatigued from the monumental expenditure.

"DAH-MOHN TARAAKK AGNAAROK!"

And, as quickly as they had appeared, the glowing white silhouettes against the pitch black backdrop of outer space were gone.

Her fingers wiggling around the shaft of her wand-staff, Rita cackled quietly to herself.

The Power Rangers would die this day – and it wouldn't be at the hands of Divatox or the Machine Empire or even Dark Specter's little cyborg-slut.

No, it would be she, Rita Repulsa, who hammered the final nail into the heart of the Earth.

Just as it was always intended.

"Star light, star bright..."

 _Those Power Rangers are in for a fight._

* * *

Angel Grove Park

 _Very, very peculiar._

"Definitely alien activity," the elderly man declared, wiping his hands on his lab coat before adjusting the settings on his telescope.

His colleagues exchanged a sceptical look.

"What do you see, Professor?" the larger of the two men asked.

"The stars...are twinkling," he replied, squinting as he stared through the instrument into the night sky.

Another look was exchanged between his associates, their scepticism now evolved into full-blown doubt.

"Twinkling?" Skull asked.

"Aren't stars supposed to do that?" Bulk added.

"Yeah! As in 'twinkle twinkle little star?' Ever hear that one?"

Over the past year, Bulk and Skull had followed Professor Phenomenous on dozens of his zany expeditions to locate and capture alien lifeforms, and while several of these 'scientific ventures' had indeed resulted in direct contact with extraterrestrial life, it commonly had more to do with them finding themselves in the middle of one of the countless monster attacks that forever plagued Angel Grove.

More a case of 'wrong place at the wrong time' than anything deserving of scientific recognition.

"This is not a nursery rhyme!" the Professor protested. "The celestial designs are...moving?"

"Yeah, whatever, Prof." replied Bulk. "Now, its almost time for Letterman so, if you don't mind, we'll just be on our..."

His mouth hung open, preventing him from completing his sentence, at the sight of what was happening in the sky above them.

Following his gaze, his companion was equally shocked to discover that the Professor was correct – the stars WERE moving! And not only were they moving, they were...coming towards them?

The two watched in awe as the lights – each one now no larger than a golf ball – circled above their heads before gathering in front of them like fireflies.

It wasn't the strange lights, however, that would fill the boys with terror.

"Bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-bu..." stammered Skull, wide eyed with fear as a dozen ghostly images appeared suddenly from nowhere – 'draped' over the different patterns of lights as though they were some kind of framework!

His words still caught in his throat, Bulk grabbed his friend by the leather collar of his jacket and dragged him off in the opposite direction, bumping into the Professor on their way past.

"Stop! Where are you going?" the older man yelled after them. "What about the..."

He looked around and discovered the source of their panic.

"Aliens!" he screamed, quickly gathering in his arms what he could of his equipment before following in the footsteps of his dim-witted underlings.

"Wait for meeeeeeee!"

 _That's TOO MANY aliens!_

* * *

The Astro Megaship

-Crew Quarters, Megadeck 2-

 _There!_

Trip's eyes shot open.

His heart pounding in his chest, he gasped for air as the Eye of Xi insignia faded from around the gem on his forehead, the radiant green glow disappearing along with it.

"Trip, are you okay!?" Katie's concern was not unwarranted, blood trickling from her friend's left nostril.

Despite the Green Time Force Ranger continually stating otherwise, the seemingly growing strain that his recently invigorated gift was placing upon his body was something that they couldn't continue to just ignore.

"I saw him!" the Xybrian said, wiping away the blood with the back of his hand and ignoring the Yellow Ranger's concern. "He's in orbit over the planet Typhon...in the M-51 Galaxy. He's aboard some kind of space fortress."

"Then that's where we need to go," declared Jen, far from liking the sound of the word 'fortress.'

"There's more," Trip confirmed. "Something is...wrong with him. His mind is fragmented...like it's being rewritten."

"Rewritten?" Wes asked, unsure of exactly what Trip meant. "Rewritten by what? By who?"

"It was Astronema," he answered, hesitating briefly to properly recall what he had seen.

"Whoa, whoa, wait! THE Astronema?" asked Chase.

"THAT is not good," added Lucas.

"No, it's not," agreed Jen.

The 'Princess of Darkness' was one of the most notorious figures in all of known history. Rising to prominence as a General of Dark Specter, she later served as the Commander of his forces during his attempted conquest of the universe before, albeit briefly, supplanting him as the 'Grand Monarch of Evil' after his demise.

She was also, as they had discovered during their brief time on Terra Venture, Andros's sister and, inexplicably, a legendary Power Ranger – having assumed the mantle some time after being cleansed of the evil that had corrupted her.

But, at this point in the timeline, she was Astronema.

The cutting edge methods they had been using to traverse the timestream had allowed them to stay on their enemy's heels, pushing him to his limit and bringing them closer than ever to stopping him.

With that, unfortunately, came the sacrifice of knowledge – of preparation.

They had walked in blindfolded on the eve of one of the most pivotal moments to ever occur.

"Apprehending Djolnel is no longer our primary objective."

"What?" asked Wes, never having thought he would hear those words come out of her mouth.

"Listen up," Jen instructed. "For the sanctity of the timeline, it is of paramount importance that Astronema does not complete her mental reconditioning of Djolnel. We need to get him the hell away from her.

"Trip, how long do you think we have until the procedure is complete?"

"I don't know. I could feel him resisting but...how much longer he can hold out?"

"Then all we know is that we don't have long. Katie, Trip – go to the Bridge. Tell the others that we have a location on Djolnel and that we need to get to him FAST.

"The rest of us will work out an extraction plan so that..."

"An extraction?" Eric questioned. "You're really turning this into a damn rescue operation!? What's going on? What has you so spooked?"

"The invasion," Wes mumbled, putting together the pieces. "1998. Angel Grove was ground zero to the biggest alien attack that that world had ever seen."

"And that is exactly why we can't allow her to find out what Djolnel knows," Jen explained. "If he were able to reveal to her ANY of the details of how their attack was averted ...well, there may not ever even be a Time Force."

Eric swallowed hard, the gravity of the situation now apparent to him.

Whereas the events of 1998 were ancient history to the Rangers from the 31st century, things weren't so far removed for the two former Silver Guardians who had been plucked from the year 2005.

Their memories of that day were VERY real.

And, then, there was Jason, sitting on the floor feeling alone and confused.

An all-out invasion of the Earth? In 1998? How could this happen?

When he had first talked Jen into bringing him in on their mission, he had been aware of the possibility that he would see and hear things that wouldn't make any sense – hell, he had expected it!

But how was it possible that, just three years into his own future, things had changed THIS much?

Where was Tommy? And the others? Who were all of these new Rangers? Why were they holed up on this spaceship instead of running out of the Command Centre on Earth? Why was Alpha here with them?

And where was Zordon?

He wasn't going to find the answers to any of these questions inside his own head, he knew, nor was he really sure that any of these were questions that he should really know the answer to.

All he could do was continue to do what he had been doing.

He could only sit and listen.

"What if..." Trip began, hesitantly. "What if I used my gift to find...somebody else?"

Jen turned around sharp in response to his words.

She didn't need to ask to whom the Green Ranger was referring...

...because the very same thought had passed through her mind.

"We...we can't," she replied. "That's not why we're here. We need to focus on the mission at hand."

"Jen, I think we have to at least consider the possibility," Lucas said, also fully aware of who Trip was talking about. "I mean, how can we not?"

The Pink Ranger looked at her team – Katie, Trip, Lucas, Natasia, and Chase – all of them looking to her expectantly.

Despite their insubordination, she couldn't be angry with them.

Not for this.

"Who are you talking about?" asked Wes, he and Eric unable to follow the new direction that the conversation had taken.

"I understand. I do..." Jen said, squashing the Red Time Force Ranger's question, "...but you all know why we can't."

The sound of footsteps approaching down the corridor, the team put their conversation on hold and turned their attention to the familiar figure who stormed towards them.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming back here!"

"Cassie, calm down!" Carlos said, coming up from behind her.

The Pink Space Ranger had come aboard the Megaship only minutes before, using DECA to immediately locate the time travellers and shoving her way past Carlos on her way to them.

"Hey, Cassie, what's wrong?" asked Katie, uncertain whether she should actually be thankful for the interruption.

"What's wrong!?" she shouted. "How about the fact that you lied to us!?"

"Hey, listen, c'mon. What's this all about?" Carlos asked. "What is it that..."

"Don't give me that!" she snapped back, swatting his hand off of her shoulder. "Don't pretend that you haven't thought about it! Everything they told us was such bullshit!"

"It wasn't bullshit!" Lucas protested, the aggression in his voice a testament to what was quickly evolving into a very tense situation.

"Enough!" ordered Jen, hoping to stop things from escalating any further. "Cassie, what is it that you think we lied to you about?"

Cassie's pretty face crumpled into a hideous frown. "You told us that, a thousand years from now, we were remembered – that our exploits and our victories as Power Rangers were the stuff of legend."

Her eyes filling with tears, she paused for a moment as she struggled to maintain her composure.

"You didn't warn us – you lowered our guard! You let us think that we were legends when, in reality, our legacy is 'the Power Rangers who FAILED! We're the Power Rangers who LOST!

"We lost our powers.

"Lost the Power Chamber.

"Lost Zordon."

Jen opened her mouth to speak but couldn't because of the lump that had formed in her throat. Cassie just sounded...so sad.

"You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't have come back," Cassie squeaked, before shoving her way past Carlos again and departing back along the corridor.

Carlos stood with his head down for a few moments, his eyes looking up only briefly at the Time Force officers before he turned around and took off after his friend.

Jen let out a deep breath. That had been exactly the last thing she needed right now.

"What happened to Zordon?"

Correction: THIS was the last thing she needed right now!

Jason's question wasn't directed to her, personally, but to anybody who was able to provide him with the answer.

Instead, their silence and bowed heads filled him with a fear unlike anything he had ever felt before.

"Jason, I understand that you have questions," Jen said, eventually, "but we don't have time right now to discuss..."

"What happened to Zordon?" Jason asked again over the top of her voice, jumping to his feet so that he and Jen were almost nose to nose, his fear quickly turning to anger.

The Pink Time Force Ranger stared the Black Quantum Ranger straight in the eyes and, in that moment, she knew that this conversation could not wait.

"Everybody, go to the Bridge."

"Wait, all of us?" Wes asked, still unsure of exactly what the hell was going on. "What about you?"

"Jason and I will be right behind you," she said, never breaking eye contact with the former leader of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. "Let Andros know where Djolnel is. Tell him we need a ride."

"You heard her, let's go," Katie said, leading the others along the corridor, glad that she didn't have to witness the conversation that was about to take place.

"Alright, Jason," said Jen once they were alone. "You want to talk?"

 _Then let's talk._

* * *

The Astro Megaship

-Megaship Bridge, Megadeck 1-

 _What are they doing?_

Watching the time travellers on the monitors on the wall, Andros was filled with a sense of intrigue.

And concern.

"DECA, what are they saying?"

"Audio sensors on Megadeck 2 are currently non-operational," the Megaship computer answered. "Self diagnostic underway."

"Well?"

He turned around in his chair to find Ashley standing, staring at him with her hands still on her hips.

"Alright, I overreacted!" he admitted, realising now that she and T.J. weren't simply going to let this go.

"All you had to do was listen to us!"

Even though his girlfriend had said 'us,' he knew that she had meant 'me.'

Any hopes he had that Alpha 6 might back him up were quickly dashed by the sound of the droid humming away quietly on the other end of the room, trying to look busy.

It was two against one.

"Okay, fine, but don't you think I have good reason to be just a little bit paranoid?" he asked. "After everything that's happened with my sister? With Darkonda and the rebels? Do I even NEED to mention the Psycho Rangers!? And now, right after Ecliptor infiltrates the Megaship database and destroys the Delta Megazord, this 'other' team of Rangers just magically appears, right in our moment of need!?"

T.J. and Ashley looked at one another. He did have a point. After all that had happened, it was really no wonder that he saw enemies and betrayal at every turn.

Bringing his attention back to the time travellers, Andros focused in on the green haired member of their party, currently with his back to the camera.

"A Xybrian," he muttered to himself. He was almost certain of it.

Xybria was a small planet of religious dedicants who didn't deal or trade with any surrounding worlds. It was unheard of for any member of their race to venture this far from their homeworld – much less appear to have abandoned the beliefs and philosophies that formed the foundation of their society in order to join someone else's crusade.

Of course, it was impossible to imagine just what kind of changes could and would occur that far into the future.

However, as interesting as it was to try to envision what the universe might look like, a thousand cycles from now, that wasn't the foremost thing on his mind.

The Xybrian had called him by name.

"Look, I understand," T.J. said, "but these guys ARE who they say they are! We know them – we fought alongside them!"

"AND they have a Megazord," Ashley added, feeling the need to emphasize that fact, what with them recently finding themselves short of one of their own.

"Hell, we took down a freakin' Kraken, together!" said T.J .

"A Kraken!?" Andros asked, turning back around with a look of surprise on his face.

"Yeah!" Ashley answered. "It's this big...octopus-crab thingy that turns the ocean red and..."

"I know what a Kraken is. I just can't believe you actually fought one!"

The legend of the Great Beast was well-known throughout the cosmos, even if no living being had ever actually seen it.

"Fought and DEFEATED," T.J. elaborated. "But I don't think you're seeing the bigger picture, here."

"The bigger picture?"

T.J. nodded. "These guys can help us fight, sure, but let's not forget where they come from! They've seen how things turn out! They know things that haven't even happened for us, yet! Don't you get it? Andros, they might be able to tell us where Zordon is."

"Time travel isn't a game, T.J!" Andros snapped, jumping up out of seat. "It isn't some toy you can just take out of the box and play with whatever way you want! Time is a natural order, and the consequences of messing with the natural order can be very, VERY real."

"You know about time travel?" Ashley asked, intrigued and impressed."

"I know enough about it to know that I can't just so easily trust anybody that uses that ability so recklessly...

"...whether they're Power Rangers or not."

"They're not using it recklessly!" T.J. argued back. "We told you: they're here in pursuit of..."

"A fugitive from 31st century Earth, yeah, I heard you. A fugitive who may possess that same knowledge of the future who is now in the hands of Dark Specter!"

He paced back and forth across the bridge, taking long deep breaths. "Time travel is bad news."

"Andros, I just... we've been searching for Zordon for so long now and...I just thought...what if we don't ever get a better chance than this?"

Andros sighed. He wasn't taking his friend's suggestion lightly.

Far from it.

If ANY other way to find Zordon were to present itself...

He felt Ashley's hand touch down comfortingly on his shoulder.

"The best thing we can do, right now, is find this fugitive as quickly as possible so we can get everybody back to their own place in time before they tear a hole in the damn space-time continuum! We have to presume they took him to the Dark Fortress.

"DECA?"

"Long distance scanners have been unable to detect any sign of the Dark Fortress," she answered.

"Meaning that they're either, somehow, avoiding our scanners or..." Ashley said.

"They're not in this dimension," T.J. finished for her.

Andros nodded, knowing the likelihood that that could be true. "Keep scanning, DECA. Alpha, see if you can make contact with Zhane, fill him in on our situation. He may be able to..."

Checking back towards the monitor for the first time in several minutes, he found, to his surprise, that he could locate only two of their 'guests' on the Megadeck above.

"Where did they go?" asked Ashley, her question answered as if on cue by the doors behind them sliding open.

"Permission to come aboard, Captain?" Katie said jokingly, stepping onto the Bridge with the rest of the Time Force officers behind her.

 _We need a moment of your time._

* * *

Angel Grove Beach

 _Why can't it always just be like this._

The beach was quiet tonight.

The water rushing towards her once again, she wiggled her toes urgently as she tried to bury her feet in the sand before it could reach them.

It was game she used to play when she was younger, spending hours on end sitting at the water's edge by herself.

She was always like that as a child – more content in her own company than with that of the other kids.

But then she grew up, of course, and with that came an interest in fashion and makeup and boys and music and everything else that came with being a teenager. Thus, she found herself seeking that more 'human connection' that she had found with all of her friends and, especially, her fellow Power Rangers.

Sometimes, though, it was just nice to revert back to that happy little girl who made friends with the sand.

"Do you remember that day at the beach?"

She had been aware of Carlos's approach from behind despite his footsteps falling silently on the beach.

"You mean the day the sea turned red? I have a vague recollection," he said, sarcastically.

"I mean before all of that," she said. "When we were all just trying to...catch our breath! Justin was playing in the water, and the rest of us were back there talking about..."

"Whether or not we were the right choice to be the new Power Rangers? Yeah, I remember," he replied, quite surprised that he did.

"That was barely a year ago. Can you believe that?"

He actually couldn't.

"I guess a lot has happened since then, huh?" he said.

"And do you ever wonder if it was all for nothing?"

He looked at his friend for a few moments, a look of confusion on his face, as he waited for her to elaborate.

"What if we never find Zordon? What if we don't win?"

Carlos opened his mouth to respond, to tell her that she was 'talking crazy' – 'of course they were going to win' – but he couldn't bring himself to say the words because, in that moment, he realised for the first time that he was no longer sure that he believed that, either.

Drawing a blank, he wracked his brain for something – ANYTHING – he could say that would help to elevate his friend's mood, when the tranquillity was broken by the sound of a ruckus coming from the street overlooking the beach.

Turning around, he was greeted to the shocking site of civilians climbing and leaping over the rail from the street down onto the sand – dozens fleeing in terror from...something.

"Let's go," Cassie said, her own troubles put on the backburner for the time being, leaping to her feet to answer the call of duty.

The familiar sound of robotic mumbling foretold the cause of the disturbance before they even had eyes on the situation.

Quantrons.

The foot soldiers of Astronema were causing chaos in the street, although it wasn't immediately clear if that was their sole objective.

"We'd better call this is," suggested Cassie. Not only were they outnumbered by their half dozen adversaries but a Quantron attack was almost always a precursor to a far greater threat.

Just then, they became aware of another sound, only just audible over the sound of the Quantrons.

A sound not unlike cries for help.

"What is that?" asked Cassie, just as a small break in the robots' formation revealed the answer: a girl – no older than themselves – helpless and alone right at the centre of the Quantron mass.

Instinct kicked in.

"Go!" yelled Carlos, sending one of the robots reeling with a flying kick as he and Cassie charged selflessly into the fray.

Ducking under a haymaker-type swing, Cassie brought the robot to its knees with a hard stomp to the back of its leg before grabbing its head in both hands and smashing it viciously off of a nearby streetlight.

"Ugh," she groaned at her throbbing foot, only now aware that she had left her shoes down on the beach.

"Look out!"

Heeding Carlos's cry, she turned around just in time to see the huge Q-Blade slicing through the air towards her.

"Shit!" she yelped, barely evading the attack, the weapon instead cutting straight through the streetlight and bringing it down on top of her unfortunate attacker.

"Shitshitshitshit," she cursed in time with her steps as she hurried across the street.

"Hey! Hey! Are you okay?" she asked, dropping down next to the girl, now curled up in a ball on the ground, terrified. "Can you get up? Are you hurt?"

"Get her out of here!" Carlos yelled doing his best to keep occupied the three remaining Quantrons.

"Listen, hey, can you hear me?" Cassie asked, placing her hands on the terrified girl. "You're okay now, yeah? I've got you, but we NEED to move. Okay? What's your name?"

"V-V-Virgo," the girl stuttered.

"Okay, Virgo, I need you to get up now, okay? With me now, yeah?"

Responding to her words, the girl used Cassie to pull herself to her feet.

"Good job, Virgo! You're going to be okay."

"But YOU won't be!"

The claws came from nowhere.

"No!" screamed Carlos, watching events unfold from across the street.

She couldn't breathe. Cassie looked down at her shredded clothing, expecting the worst.

She was bleeding.

Barely.

The injury was more akin to scratches than any serious wounds.

"Cassie!" cried Carlos, grabbing her in a panic as he conducted an inspection of his own.

"I'm okay!" she assured him, knowing just how lucky she was that that were the case.

"What the hell are you!?" Carlos asked, protectively ushering his friend away from her attacker.

"Your end," came the simple reply, the girl waving in front of them the beast-like claws that had replaced her fingers.

Her body beginning to glow, she suddenly burst into a number of glowing white dots that shifted and rearranged to form a new pattern, a single white line appearing to connect the dots and finalize the sequence.

Where before had stood a woman, now stood something else entirely: a terrifying lion-like monster, with a mane made of flame and a long metal chain, gripped tightly in its clawed hands, that tethered the collar around its neck to what-looked-like some kind of wrecking ball!

"By the decree of her Empress, Rita Repulsa, and Lord Zedd, you, Power Rangers: defenders of Earth, have been marked for execution," the Lion growled through its fanged mouth.

The two teens needed not to discuss their next move.

"Let's Rocket!" said Cassie.

Flipping open the lid on their Astro Morphers, the pair quickly entered the Morph control code into the exposed keypad on their wrist devices to initiate their connection to the Morphin Grid, the resultant energy that covered them transforming them into Power Rangers.

"Alright, Growlie, let's see what..." The Black Ranger was unable to finish his sentence, the huge wrecking ball colliding with him head on and sending him soaring through the wall of brick behind him.

"Carlos!" cried Cassie as she watched her friend disappear beneath the collapsing structure.

The Lion tugging hard on his chain to recall the sphere, the Pink Space Ranger dropped flat out on the ground to avoid its trajectory.

What she couldn't avoid, however, was the ball of fire that the monster projected from its mouth the second she returned to her feet – her smouldering body crashing down atop the pile of bricks of which her teammate lay beneath.

"Carlos!" she cried, digging through the rubble with her fingertips as the Lion unleashed a triumphant roar behind her. "Carlos!"

 _Oh no..._

 **End of Part 2**

* * *

 **Two thirds of the way there! The third and final part of the chapter will be up some time in the next few weeks.**

 **Work should have calmed down by then, as well...**


End file.
